------ Nowadays, it is the largest freshwater marshland in China, known as Sanjian (Three River) Plain because it was formed by three rivers - the Songhua, Heilong and Wusuli rivers. After fifty years of development it is now a fertile land, but the transformation has also introduced ecological problems, such as pesticide pollution and wetland reduction. The project that turned what was see as useless wasteland into a profitable agricultural field has come at a heavy price. We are now reaping the bitter harvest for the development of this area.