Beijing, once famous for its sweet spring water and clear-flowing rivers, is running out of water. To keep the taps flowing with clean water for the 2008 Olympic Games and beyond, Beijing is pumping its groundwater dry and draining water from distant reservoirs and rivers.

Read "The Vanishing Haidian" for a personal account of life in the ancient capital when water was plentiful. Click on the map thumbnail to view an interactive map of Haidian.