The reporter found that both the Funan River in Chengdu and the Nandao River in Lanzhou have invested wisdom and huge funds to transform the former stinking rivers into today's beautiful landscapes. Facts have proven that in today's market-oriented era, any project cannot rely solely on government power; it must be operated with a market-oriented management model to be effective. Practice has proven that while exploring a new model for flood channel management, Lanzhou City is also attempting market-oriented operation. This approach of incorporating corporate concepts to solve funding problems is indeed a beneficial attempt.

　　Social Funds Help Flood Channel Renovation

　　Four years ago, Wulipu in Lanzhou was still a disgusting Longxu Ditch. However, after the government absorbed social funds and renovated it through government-enterprise cooperation, the former Longxu Ditch has become today's beautiful landscape project with small bridges and flowing water. More importantly, the improved flood channel can withstand a once-in-a-century flood.

　　As early as 2005, the Nandao River in Chengguan District of Lanzhou also began large-scale dredging. Since then, the stinking ditch clogged with garbage and foul odors has undergone a magnificent transformation into today's beautiful "Daughter River." Looking at Chengdu, Sichuan, before renovation, the banks of the Funan River were crowded with shantytowns, with serious water pollution and an overall dirty and messy image. However, the successful management of the Funan River has become a model for China and even the world, and has won international awards such as the UN Habitat Award, the International Award for Excellence in Waterfronts, and the International Environmental Regional Design Award. Any great project not only embodies the wisdom and efforts of decision-makers and visionaries but also requires huge financial support. If the funding for flood channel management relies solely on government departments, it will inevitably be extremely difficult. In fact, the funding problem is a "stumbling block" that Lanzhou must face in river and flood channel management.

　　The economy is developing, the city is being built, and the flood channels should not become festering scars on the city or damage the city's image due to their current condition. Today, river and flood channels have become an indispensable part of urban infrastructure, but the management of more than a hundred flood channels in Lanzhou remains a challenge. If the government alone invests in management, public finances may not be able to bear it. Therefore, as early as June 2010, the "Implementation Plan for Comprehensive Management and Utilization of River and Flood Channels in Lanzhou Urban Area" clearly stated: "In order to make up for the shortage of funds for river and flood channel management, it is necessary to mobilize social, enterprise, and individual investments through multiple channels to jointly manage and utilize the river and flood channels."

　　The reporter learned that at present, urban infrastructure construction in Lanzhou has long been mainly funded by the government. The huge construction funds have brought tremendous pressure on local finances, and accelerating infrastructure construction has therefore become a matter of "having more tasks than resources." Under such circumstances, attracting social capital and encouraging private enterprises to participate in urban infrastructure construction should be an effective method.

　　A Magnificent Transformation: Stinking Ditch Becomes Commercial Street

　　In Anning District of Lanzhou, the reporter recently found that the former Daqing Ditch, which was clogged with silt, had alarming dangers, and was dirty and messy, is now undergoing a magnificent transformation. It will become a commercial complex integrating a landscape avenue, commercial center, and citizen plaza—namely Jinniu Street, a future incubator for college student entrepreneurship.

　　For a long time, Daqing Ditch had no sewage or flood control capacity and no safety protection measures. Its existence has been a nightmare for three or four generations, or even more, of old Anning residents. However, after nearly three years of comprehensive management, Daqing Ditch has gradually shed its former dirty and messy appearance and become a beautiful landscape project in the area, also serving as a successful case in Lanzhou's flood channel management process.

　　"Before liberation, there was a ditch in Beijing called Longxu Ditch, a stinking ditch known far and wide. By the Longxu Ditch, fleas swarmed, and mosquitoes and flies flew in dark clouds. What was even more unbearable was the stench of the ditch. Especially in the rainy season, the dirty water in the stinking ditch kept flowing out, often into people's houses, flooding their belongings." Three years ago, Daqing Ditch was no less than the Longxu Ditch described by Lao She. However, after three years of renovation, it has long taken on a new look. "I have lived here for decades. In summer, it stank and flies swarmed. Daqing Ditch, this river and flood channel, has affected several generations of us!" In an interview, Mr. Liu Yumin, who lives in Shuigua Village, told the reporter. Seeing the rapid changes in Daqing Ditch, the old man gave a thumbs-up and praised the government's wisdom and the enterprises' good work.

　　Undoubtedly, the government's macro-thinking and strategic awareness in urban management have won praise from citizens. The management and renovation of Daqing Ditch in Anning District once again demonstrate the government's grand approach. It is understood that three years ago, the Daqing Ditch renovation project was finally implemented after a series of rigorous demonstrations. Over the past three years, under scientific and reasonable planning, the former stinking ditch has gradually shown its "bullish vigor" and become today's Jinniu Street, which has taken initial shape. And in the near future, this place will transform into a new water city.

　　Highlighting "Bullish Vigor": Beautification and Flood Control Go Hand in Hand

　　The management of urban flood channels concerns urban safety and the city's image. It represents a city's civilization and also the decision-making awareness of the city's management. The government-enterprise collaboration and substantial investment in the renovation and management of Daqing Ditch undoubtedly reflect the city's progress and the government's advanced concept of managing the city.

　　The reporter saw in the southern section of Daqing Ditch that a commercial landscape corridor, basically completed, stretches for hundreds of meters along the channel, forming a sharp contrast with the northern section, where sewage flows, garbage piles up, and mosquitoes and flies run rampant. The reporter noted that the renovated channel has completed dredging, widening, lining, and segmented covering. The cross-section of the improved channel is trapezoidal, with a bottom width of about 12–15 meters, a top width of more than 20 meters, and a depth of 5–7 meters. The top of the embankments on both sides is level with the surrounding ground. The rising commercial street utilizes the relatively wide flat land on both banks of the improved flood channel to build three-story commercial buildings. The upper part of the flood channel adopts a cantilever structure extending 5 meters over the channel as a pedestrian street. Behind the commercial buildings is a pedestrian street, then a road, and a green belt along the roadside (partially not yet greened). Undoubtedly, the formerly dirty and messy flood channel has become a beautiful landscape of the city.

　　"Between the commercial buildings on both sides of the channel, combined with the covered and uncovered flood channels, pedestrian streets, parking lots, etc., are built to create a distinctive and high-quality commercial street with taste and style, achieving the effect of comprehensive utilization of flood channel management," said the project department manager. The commercial buildings adopt pile foundations, which are placed within the embankments on both sides of the improved flood channel, without occupying the floodway. The lateral spacing of the piles is 9 meters. The entire commercial street mainly utilizes the flat land on both banks of the flood channel and does not occupy the flood discharge cross-section within the channel. In addition, a trapezoidal masonry block stone water flow channel with a bottom width of 1.1 meters and a top width of 2.54 to 3.74 meters is set along the centerline of the entire flood channel. An anti-seepage geomembrane is installed at the joints of the channel bottom, and weep holes are provided in the channel walls in areas with groundwater. A collection well is set downstream of the channel water trough, connected via a D1000 pipe to the existing D1500 sewage pipe on Beibinhe Road, thereby achieving the purpose of intercepting sewage.

　　During the interview, nearby residents expressed the hope that outstanding enterprises with social responsibility and a sense of duty, like Taohai Group, would, on the basis of completing the first phase of the project, also promptly renovate the stinking ditch in the northern section, fundamentally solving the dirty and messy problems that have troubled nearby residents for many years.