Editor's note: As protection of the planet's flora, fauna and resources becomes increasingly important, China Daily is publishing a series of stories to illustrate the country's commitment to safeguarding the natural world.

When Feng Erwei was a boy, he recalls people drinking water directly from Baiyangdian Lake in Hebei province. Diving into northern China's largest freshwater lake with his friends, he said he could keep his eyes open underwater and see all the fish and shrimp swimming around.

The 42-year-old from Xidi village has spent the last 20 years captaining a passenger boat on the lake, and has seen firsthand the ebb and flow of its fate.

The fortunes and health of Baiyangdian began to sour in parts during the previous century as China quickly industrialized. In some parts of the lake, it became so polluted that even the locals would go out of their way to avoid it.

"The foul smell from the lake forced people who lived near it to keep their windows closed, and nobody swam in it any longer," he said.

However, since a plan was announced on April 1, 2017, to establish the Xiong'an New Area, which encompasses Baiyangdian, significant improvements have been made to the environment.

The plan for Xiong'an New Area calls for the development of a green, low-carbon and innovative city that can take on many of Beijing's non-capital functions.

Situated approximately 100 kilometers southwest of the capital, the new area consists of Anxin, Xiongxian and Rongcheng counties.

President Xi Jinping has attached great importance to the construction of Xiong'an.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has been personally involved in making decisions and plans to develop the new area, and since 2017, he has visited the area three times.

In his latest tour in May, Xi stressed that the development of Xiong'an is a national project of millennial significance and should be pushed forward with concrete actions and sustained efforts.

At a convention center, Xi was briefed about the progress of the overall design and development of Xiong'an and the efforts made to restore and conserve the ecological environment of Baiyangdian.