(240415) -- BEIJING, April 15, 2024 (Xinhua) -- Chen Ting (R), a homestay manager, feeds fish at her homestay near Taihu Lake at Dongshan Town of Wuzhong District in Suzhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province, April 11, 2024. Chen started her homestay business after resigning her work as a bank employee in 2018. Located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Taihu Lake is an important water source for 17 million residents in one of China's most densely populated and economically developed areas. The water quality of Taihu Lake, China's third-largest freshwater lake, keeps impoving over the years and reached in 2023 its best level since 2007. The improved ecological environment has also boosted economic development around the lake, with a booming of various industries including sightseeing, outdoor sports, etc. (Xinhua/Ji Chunpeng)