Jiulongpo: Guardian of the River & Companion to the Egrets

Stretching 31 kilometers, the Jiulongpo section of the Yangtze River is home to China’s first egret reserve. After nearly disappearing in the 1950s, egrets gradually returned thanks to long-term grassroots conservation and official protection efforts. A retired fisherman has witnessed the change firsthand, living by the river for decades alongside the egrets.