Few rivers are as lucky as Liuyang River in Hunan province, who has gained its fame by a folk song that bears the same name.

Changsha, the capital city of Hunan province, is seeking better development of the river by attaching more importance to the conservation and utilization of its humanitarian and ecological environment.

To this end, the first seminar on Liuyang River protection and development was held in Baijia town, Liuyang, a county-level city under the administration of Changsha, on March 21-22.

"Rivers are poems and songs written by nature on earth," said Zhang Xiangtao, the head of Changsha's publicity department, during the seminar. Zhang said that the city would make efforts to expand Liuyang River's growth potential with regards to culture, ecology, economy, and innovation.

Experts from the Chinese Academy of Science and the Tsinghua University held in-depth discussions on various aspects of the river such as its geology and landforms, waterhead protection, and ecological tourism strategy during the two-day event.

The Liuyang River rises from the Dawei Mountain in the east end of Liuyang city, running westward through Liuyang, Changsha county, and the urban area of Changsha city, and then merges into the Xiang River. It stretches 234.8 kilometers in total.