Source of the Yellow River stops shrinking

XINING - A sprawling lake area on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has expanded after the government took steps six years ago to prevent it from shrinking because of its deteriorating environment.

Sanjiangyuan, an area that is the source of China's three most important rivers, has increased in size by 245 square kilometers in the past few years, said Li Xiaonan, deputy director of the Sanjiangyuan Ecological Preservation and Construction Office.

In particular, the twin lakes that supply 49 percent of the headwaters of the Yellow River have expanded by 166 square kilometers from 2003, when they were at a record small size of 1,071 square kilometers.