Jiang Hongling, 74 years old, was born in Shandong province and came to Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in 1961.

He got his first job in Karamay in 1964 and has lived there ever since. Karamay has a worse environment than Urumqi; it is windy, sandy and lacks water.

People did not have home plumbing, and had to carry it from a pool nearby. They learned to save water. They use water for washing and laundries before using it in toilets.

Today, with years of effort, Karamay has improved its water quality. The number of reservoirs increased from three in 1949 to 452 in 2009. The city has also built its own swimming pool where people can relax and enjoy themselves.

More swans are settling in the lakes of Karamay thanks to improved water quality.