- As the second largest river in Hainan Island, Changhua River is the mother river for Hainan people. It originates from Limu Mountain Forest Region in Qiongzhong, Hainan Province, and runs through canyon, mountain forest, plains and all the way towards the sea in the west. Changhua River has devoted fresh and luscious water to moisten vast land in the central and western parts of Hainan Island and nurture millions of residents at both river banks since ancient times. The main stream of Changhua River is 232km long and its basin covers an area of 5150 km2. Both banks of the downstream section of Changhua River and its nearby Dongfang City as well as Changjiang Li Autonomous County are areas affected by severe drought in Hainan Island, with about 0.6 million mu (one mu=0.0667 hectares) of wasteland to be reclaimed and 0.4 million mu of cultivated land being irrigated by the Changhua River, although local medium-and-small rivers have already been fully utilized for irrigation.
- In order to improve ecological environment in the western part of Hainan and accelerate the construction of new countryside in Hainan, China Huaneng Group started construction of a community-benefiting and irrigation project in Changhua River — Huaneng Gezhen Hydropower Station in 2007, which is the largest project launched by the Company in implementing the Central Government's initiative for new countryside construction, and is also an important project for promoting economic and social development in Hainan. Huaneng Gezhen Hydropower Station is located within Dongfang City and Changjiang County and was completed on December 18, 2009, with total installed capacity of 82MW and annual average power generation output of about 130GWh. The project performs comprehensive functions of flood control, irrigation, water supply and power generation.
- Since the completion of Huaneng Gezhen Hydropower Station, drought and water shortage in southwest Hainan have been fundamentally mitigated, and 1.01 million mu of irrigation area has been newly added or improved, accounting for 30% of effective irrigation area in the whole province. With an annual water supply capacity of 220 million cubic meters, it effectively meets water demand for developing tropical agriculture in irrigated areas as well as urban domestic water demand, drastically increasing the comprehensive output of food and commercial crops. In reservoir area of Huaneng Gezhen Hydropower Station, a quiet yet dynamic picture charmingly displays itself, with rolling hills, green tropical vegetation, rising clouds and mists among mountains, and boats occasionally rowing down the mirror-like river. Landscape of rivers, mountains, and fields are pure as a rosebud beaming with natural beauty. Pawpaw gardens, banana gardens, and mango gardens are interconnected alongside the river. Thanks to the irrigation facilities, orchardists are reaping good harvest and are getting richer year by year.
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