/PRNewswire/ -- "Constructing an ecological civilization touches on public welfare and the nation's prospects."

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who also serves as general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, emphasized that honoring, adjusting to, and safeguarding nature form the foundation for advancing China as a fully modern socialist nation.

The 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for national economic and social development sets ambitious targets, including decisive advances on key strategic fronts vital to Chinese modernization and fresh gains in the Beautiful China drive.

Global Times has started a new series called "BeautifulChinaING." Drawing on views of natural splendor, systemic grace, and daily living, the reports blend domestic and global examples. Through on-site coverage and video narratives, they illustrate how sustainable growth defines Chinese modernization and highlight China's contributions as a major power supplying worldwide public goods.

This edition spotlights the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, where engineers, researchers, and protectors collaborate to balance hydropower expansion with nature safeguards, allowing rare fish in the Yarlung Zangbo River to migrate without hindrance.

Deep in the mid-reach canyon of the Yarlung Zangbo River stands a hydropower facility roughly 400 meters in length and over 100 meters tall that harnesses the river's upstream power. When the dam releases floodwaters, the flow plunges more than 60 meters and meets nearly 26 percent of electricity needs across Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. Known as the Huaneng Zangmu Hydropower Station, the project ended Xizang's reliance on diesel for bulk power generation.

Design engineer Zhang Lianming stands before the dam with evident pride. The station supports local communities yet holds an added purpose: a dedicated fishway beside the structure lets fish travel freely between upstream and downstream zones. Since operations began in 2015, the passage has enabled roughly 570,000 fish to move upstream.

"A healthy environment supports well-being, green hills offer beauty, and clear skies bring joy," Zhang told Global Times. He noted that the project supplies clean power while improving local landscapes, water quality, and wildlife presence, reinforcing the value of that outlook.

Returning Upstream with Ease

Sun Chao, who manages the Zangmu station, regularly reviews fish migration logs in the monitoring room. Watching fish pass the glass wall on their way upstream brings a smile. "We care about the fish much like anglers do," Sun said. "Their satisfaction comes from the catch; ours comes from seeing the fish complete their journey."

Xizang serves as a national ecological shield and a living gene bank. Its delicate setting shows clearly in the river's fish. Seven species use the fishway, all native to the area. Two, the black-spotted catfish and the Lhasa schizothoracin, hold national second-class protection status.

"Keeping hydropower dams from blocking rare fish movement carries clear ecological weight," Zhang explained. A dam can sever migration routes, fragment habitats, and limit genetic mixing among populations.

Yet fish in the Yarlung Zangbo are not classic long-distance migrants; some move only short distances. After a dam appears, they may settle into new patterns and skip returning to original spawning grounds, Zhang added.

These traits convinced the design team that unobstructed passage must remain a core goal. Only then could fish continue natural breeding and maintain genetic health.

To boost high-quality fish stocks, the station also runs a long-term breeding and release program for rare species from the river.

"The effort has run for 12 years, releasing 1.97 million fish so far," Sun noted. "Building the large fast-flow fish breeding station cost 48 million yuan ($7.10 million), the fishway itself about 360 million yuan ($53.27 million), and yearly fry production nearly 7 million yuan ($1.04 million)."

"Beyond energy supply, the station invests steadily in plateau ecology protection," he stressed.

Clearing the Dragon Gate

At a dam more than 100 meters high, even people find the climb demanding. For the river's fish, moving upstream presents a steeper test. Clever engineering has helped them succeed.

From outside, the fishway resembles a standard diversion channel. The winding artificial path acts like a suspended river linking both sides of the dam. Inside, staggered cement walls form a meandering route. The system includes an inlet, an open channel over the dam, an outlet, and an observation room. Pools along the channel rise at a 2 percent slope. Every 10 meters of lift features a rest pool where flow stays between 0.9 and 1.2 meters per second. A branch pipe at the inlet adjusts flow to draw fish in.

"Fish respond to moving water, and the right speed guides them into the passage," Zhang said. The design respects natural behavior.

The team built a scale model, tested live fish, and ran repeated trials over six years. They settled on an inlet speed of 0.92 to 1.2 meters per second as ideal for upstream travel.

Team members visited the United States and Canada to study existing fishways. Overseas projects often serve stronger carnivorous migrants in steeper rivers, allowing steeper lifts. Yarlung Zangbo fish are mostly slower cold-water species, so gentler slopes were required.

The full study of local fish ecology and behavior became a published monograph and earned first prize in the 2023 Xizang Science and Technology Awards.

"When finished, the Zangmu fishway was China's highest and largest fish-passage project, overturning the old rule that passages were unnecessary above 40-meter dams," Zhang said. The success offers guidance for future high-altitude stations and rare aquatic protection while aiding fragile ecosystems in Xizang.

Smart Fish Identification

The fishway now functions as both a migration hub and an ecological monitoring post. In the observation room, an intelligent system tracks fish like an electronic checkpoint, gathering precise data on each passage.

"The 570,000 fish counted reflect solid records," said Yang Xiaocheng, safety and environmental chief. He shared May footage showing large groups moving upstream. Peak migration runs from March to June during spawning season.

Since startup, tracking ecosystem shifts has been central. Early manual counts gave way to an AI tool trained on years of video. Using optical and sonar data, it identifies fin shapes and swimming styles with 95 percent accuracy, logging time and water temperature. Results support research at domestic institutes and inform other Chinese stations.

Tagged fish released earlier have been spotted 200 kilometers downstream where the Nyang River joins the Yarlung Zangbo, confirming that stocked fry adapt to the wild.

"Monitoring shows fish numbers in the middle reaches remain steady despite the dam. Aquatic life and surrounding plants and animals across the gorge section have improved," Yang said. Otters and mergansers appear more often near the station.

Harmony between people and water, with all species thriving together, is achievable. This vision of ecological progress continues to develop along the Yarlung Zangbo River, Zhang concluded.