Doumen District is among the 106 counties nationwide cited for advanced practices in safeguarding village cleanliness by the Office of the Central Leading Group for Rural Affairs of the CPC Central Committee and Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Affairs.

Doumen, which accounts for more than 60 percent of Zhuhai's rivers in terms of number and length, is the main area for deployment of the River Chief system. Under it, heads of local government are fully responsible for managing and protecting watercourses in regions under their jurisdiction.

The district has spent 450 million yuan ($64 million) over the past two years clearing eight black and malodorous rivers. For instance, 219,200 cubic m of sludge have been dredged, 20 km (12 miles) of sewage-interception pipelines paved, and 362 pollution discharge outlets cleaned. The rivers are now only slightly black or not discolored at all and have a more natural scent.

Lianjiang Village has neat environment [Photo by Zeng Yao / Zhuhai Daily]

As of late 2019, Doumen had invested more than 2 billion-yuan ($286 million) to beautify the countryside, and over 200 million yuan ($29 million) on domestic sewage treatment, garbage management, and toilet installations and renovation. As a result, 118 rural residential areas are more pleasant.

A year ago in Zhuhai, at a conference on promoting the living environment of rural areas in Guangdong, Lianjiang Village of Lianzhou Town, one of the Top 10 Beautiful Villages in China, and Nanmen Village of Doumen Town, a China Rural Tourism Model Village, were selected as pilot sites due to their now-attractive environments.

The district also is home to Shilong, one of Top 100 Exemplary Beautiful Villages in China; Nan'ao, National Civilized Village; and Hongxing, Provincial Civilized Village.

Also nominated in Guangdong for advancing cleanliness are the counties of Wengyuan in Shaoguan, Luhe in Shanwei, and Xinxing in Yunfu.