This is a cross century water diversion project - demonstrated for half a century, started construction at the beginning of the 21st century, and the first phase of the East and Central Lines project was fully connected to water in December 2014; This is the world's largest water diversion project - spanning the four major river basins of the Yangtze River, Huai River, Yellow River, and Haihe River. The main line of the first phase of the East and Central Lines project is 2899 kilometers long. This is what General Secretary Xi Jinping called the South to North Water Diversion Project, which is "related to the overall strategic situation, long-term development, and people's well-being". Statistics show that the first phase of the South to North Water Diversion Project's East and Middle Lines has transferred a total of 75.3 billion cubic meters of water, providing stable water sources for more than 40 large and medium-sized cities and 185 million people along the route. The world's largest water diversion project, the South to North Water Diversion Project, was launched in the early 1950s as a super project aimed at solving the problem of "water scarcity in the north and water abundance in the south" in China. In 1952, Chairman Mao Zedong inspected the Yellow River and said, "There is more water in the south and less in the north. If possible, it is also possible to borrow some water." From the grand idea proposed to the official approval of the "Overall Plan for the South to North Water Diversion Project" by the State Council in 2002 and its implementation, the demonstration work of the South to North Water Diversion Project took half a century, and finally formed three water diversion routes in the east, center, and west, connecting the Yangtze River, Huai River, Yellow River, and Haihe River, and constructing a water resource allocation pattern of "four horizontal and three vertical, north-south allocation, and east-west mutual assistance". The largest dam heightening project, the largest pumping station group, the ultra large aqueduct, and the large-diameter water conveyance tunnel in China... Hundreds of thousands of builders continue to fight and overcome technical difficulties one by one. In November 2013 and December 2014, the first phase of the East and Middle Lines of the South to North Water Diversion Project were completed and connected to water. The eastern route draws water from the Yangtze River in Yangzhou and uses the Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal and parallel waterways to gradually lift the water northward; The central line draws water from the first gate of Taocha Canal in Danjiangkou Reservoir and flows into the canal to Beijing and Tianjin, supplying water to Henan, Hebei, Tianjin, and Beijing along the line. As the world's largest water diversion project, the South to North Water Diversion Project is reshaping China's water resource allocation pattern. 185 million people directly benefited from "the water used to be bitter and salty, but now South China is sweet and sweet." When interviewed in Handan, Xingtai, Hengshui, Cangzhou and other places in Hebei Province in the Heilonggang Basin, reporters often heard local people cheering for South China. The Heilonggang Basin is one of the most severely affected areas by salinization in the Huang Huai Hai Plain, with groundwater that is bitter, salty, and high in fluoride. After the completion of the South to North Water Diversion Middle Route, it supports the local implementation of domestic water source replacement, helping more than 5 million people in the Heilonggang Basin bid farewell to the history of drinking high fluoride water and brackish water. After nearly 10 years of water supply, the water quality of the middle route of the South to North Water Diversion Project has remained stable at or above Class II surface water quality, and the people along the route have shifted from 'having water to eat' to 'having good water' Sun Zhiyu, General Manager of China South to North Water Diversion Group Co., Ltd., said. At present, the South to North Water Diversion Project provides stable water sources for 185 million people. South water accounts for over 70% of the water supply in the urban area of Beijing, and almost all of the water supply in the main urban area of Tianjin is from South water. More than 10 provincial cities in Henan Province use South water. Nanshui has risen from the originally planned supplementary water source to an important water source for multiple cities, promoting high-quality economic development in the local area. While optimizing water resource allocation and ensuring the safety of drinking water for the public, the South to North Water Diversion Project has effectively promoted the recovery of the ecological environment of rivers and lakes. Yuan Qitian, Deputy Director of the South to North Water Diversion Department of the Ministry of Water Resources, stated that since the opening of the South to North Water Diversion Project, more than 50 rivers along the route have been ecologically restored, and the Yongding River, Hutuo River, Daqing River, and other rivers have been fully connected. The trend of declining groundwater levels in North China since the 1970s has been fundamentally reversed, and a preliminary balance between groundwater extraction and replenishment has been achieved; The emergency water supply project for the northern extension of the eastern route replenishes water to the Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal, helping to ensure the smooth flow of water along the entire canal for three consecutive years. Accelerating the construction of the main framework and arteries of the national water network. Recently, at the construction site of the 8th level of the water conveyance tunnel of the South to North Water Diversion Project, the first hard rock tunneling machine "Jianghan Pioneer" has begun to assemble. After assembly, it will undertake the excavation task of the main project of the water diversion tunnel. Sun Zhiyu stated that the Yangtze River Diversion Project, which started construction in July 2022, is the first project to commence in the follow-up of the South to North Water Diversion Project. The project diverts water from the Three Gorges Reservoir area of the Yangtze River to the Anle River mouth downstream of the Danjiangkou Reservoir on the Han River, with a total length of 194.7 kilometers. After the completion of the project, it will connect the South to North Water Diversion Project and the Three Gorges Project, further opening up the water supply channel from the Yangtze River to the north. On May 14, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized at the symposium on promoting the high-quality development of the follow-up project of the South to North Water Diversion Project that efforts should be made to accelerate the construction of the main framework and arteries of the national water network, providing strong water security guarantees for the comprehensive construction of a socialist modernized country. The "National Water Network Construction Plan Outline" released in May 2023 proposes that by 2035, the overall pattern of the national water network will be basically formed, the main framework and arteries of the national water network will be gradually built, the water networks of provinces, cities, and counties will be basically improved, and a national water security guarantee system that is compatible with the basic realization of socialist modernization will be constructed. In the new era and new journey, the construction of the national water network is accelerating, comprehensively enhancing the ability to coordinate and allocate water resources, ensure water supply, and maintain strategic reserves. The relevant person in charge of the Planning and Planning Department of the Ministry of Water Resources stated that they will accelerate the high-quality development of the follow-up projects of the South to North Water Diversion Project, accelerate the preliminary work of the follow-up projects of the West Line and East Line, construct the Middle Line Yangtze River Diversion Project with high quality, accelerate the implementation of flood control safety risk and hidden danger treatment, and accelerate the improvement of the main framework and arteries of the national water network. (New Society)