The Yellow River Wanjiazhai Reservoir Area Ecological Protection Circuit Court was established on Sept 18 in the Wanjiazhai Reservoir Area, administered by Xinzhou city in North China's Shanxi province.

It's the first ecological protection circuit court established by the provincial-level high people's court in the Yellow River basin.

The Wanjiazhai Reservoir section of the Yellow River is located at the junction of North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Northwest China's Shaanxi province and Shanxi province. The water environment there is complex, with cases of damage to the Yellow River's ecology occuring frequently.

The establishment of the circuit court aims to create an organ for law enforcement, through the coordination of administrative law enforcement and judicial protection. It will promptly investigate and deal with water violations in the Yellow River, as well as quickly handle cases concerning the destruction of the ecology and the environment of the Yellow River in accordance with the law.

Over the past two years, Shanxi High People's Court and Shanxi Yellow River Affairs Bureau have established the first ecological and environmental judicial protection base in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. They have carried out joint river patrols and publicity campaigns on the rule of law, promoting ecological protection and the eco-friendly development of the Yellow River basin in Shanxi.

As a result, the appearance of the Yellow River in Shanxi and river management there has continued to improve.