'Taihu Lake is beautiful, and the most attractive part is its water." That lyric from an East China folk song inspired Wan Yaoyao to travel hundreds of kilometers to visit the lake and admire its beauty.

When two of us from China Daily arrived in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, to gain firsthand experience of the pollution-control efforts in and around one of China's biggest freshwater lakes, Wan, a native of nearby Anhui province, was leaning against a railing overlooking the lake, marveling at the wide expanse of water.

Just like Wan, millions of tourists visit the city every year, lured by the lake. Many may not realize that the clean, peaceful lake they see before them was heavily polluted just a few years ago. Only after traveling 1,300 km in five days around the lake and its surrounding area did we understand the tough task facing the lakeside cities in their attempts to restore the ecological balance.