A total of 200,000 silver carp and bighead carp fries were released into Dianchi Lake in Kunming City of southwest China's Yunnan Province on Saturday, in efforts to restore the once damaged ecological system of the lake.

At the site of release, with the help of volunteers and staff members from Kunming Dianchi Lake Administration Bureau, local citizens received basins of silver carp and bighead carp fries and put them into the lake.

"The silver carp and bighead carp fries we've released into the lake feed on plankton. With those fish in Dianchi Lake, they can effectively digest and utilize the rich algae resources of Dianchi Lake and improve the water quality in Dianchi Lake," said Wang Yong, Fishery Administration and Law Enforcement Division, Dianchi Lake Administration Bureau in Kunming.

The program of releasing live fish fries into Dianchi Lake has been in place for 11 consecutive years, and a total of 1.9 million fries have been released, which has contributed to promoting the fish biodiversity of Dianchi Lake and stabilizing the aquatic ecological system of the lake.

At present, there are a total of 290 species of aquatic plants, 23 species of fish, and 138 species of birds living in the waters of Dianchi Lake. Aquatic plants such as Ottelia acuminata, indigenous fish such as golden-line barbel, and birds such as cormorants have reappeared in Dianchi Lake thanks to efforts to restore the ecological system. In particular, glossy ibis -- a national-level endangered rare bird species has also appeared on the shore of the lake.

With picturesque scenery, Dianchi Lake covers 298 km. It is 39 km long from north to south, and the average depth is 4.4 m. It is the eighth largest lake in China and the largest in Yunnan Province.