North China's Shanxi province in recent years has leveraged the role of river and lake chiefs, taken multiple measures, and systematically promoted the implementation of the "Happy River and Lakes" project across the province.

Shanxi recently issued a series of documents to strengthen policy support and advance the "Happy River and Lakes" project. Among them, the "Shanxi Province's Three-Year Action Plan for Promoting Mother River Restoration and Happy River and Lake Project Construction (2024-2026)" explicitly requires localities to build a batch of "happy" rivers and lakes featuring clean and green shores, livable environments, and harmonious human-water relationships within three years.

According to the plan, in 2024, at the county level, the effective restoration of the ecological water volume of mother rivers should be promoted, and 50 percent of counties should build one "happy" river or lake, including reservoirs.

By the end of 2025, mother rivers with conditions for returning to the flow should have their river functions restored, the "Happy River and Lakes" project should start to take shape, and the goal of restoring one hundred rivers and lakes in one hundred counties should be basically achieved.

By the end of 2026, based on the existing achievements, the mother rivers and seasonal rivers across the province should achieve seasonal re-flowing with water, with the perennial rivers flowing with water year-round, and the ecological water level of lakes should be kept within a reasonable range. 

In addition, the "Shanxi Province's Evaluation Method for the Happy River and Lakes Project" has been officially issued to further standardize the evaluation process for the "Happy River and Lakes" project throughout the province.