Fifteen environment officials in Zhejiang province swam in the province's Lanjiang River on Saturday, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Lanxi city, which hosted a swimming event, invited the officials on Saturday. Nearly 1,000 citizens were also at the event.
Shi Tongyong, head of the environmental protection bureau, said the event was aimed at showing the improvement of Lanjiang River's water quality and raising the public's awareness of environmental protection.
In 2011, the river failed to meet standards and was unsafe for swimming, he said, adding that in the past two years, more than 500 unlicensed workshops and 200 factories had been shut down, and 66 projects that would pollute the waters were denied.
Now, it is safe for people to swim there, he said.
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