Photo taken on January 2, 2008 shows the Crescent Moon Spring in northwestern Chinese city of Dunhuang. [Photo: Xinhua]

Photo taken on January 2, 2008 shows the cracked ground near the Crescent Moon Spring in northwestern Chinese city of Dunhuang. [Photo: Xinhua]

Crescent Moon Spring, the famous "spring in the desert" in northwestern Chinese city of Dunhuang, is under a protection project to be saved from drying out.

The 41 million yuan project, started in early 2007, is scheduled to complete this May.

Four water infiltration plants will be built around the spring to elevate the groundwater level in the area, thus keeping the spring alive.

The water level of the spring, a tourist attraction, has declined by six to seven meters since the 1960s as a result of ecological deterioration.

(CRI January 4, 2008)