Retiree's solo swim highlights river woes

Former telecom worker reports pollution findings after 2 months along Yangtze's longest tributary

Bao Zhengbin, 65, has just sent a 20-page report on the ecological state of the Yangtze River's longest tributary to the governors of two provinces.

The retiree has had a lifelong connection with the Hanjiang River, which runs about 1,500 kilometers eastward from Shaanxi province to Hubei province, and got a close-up view of its present state during a 60-day swim along the length of the river in August and September.