The 2022 China Wetland Distribution Schematic High-definition Large Picture is here. You can take a look at this China Wetland Tourism Guide.

1. Popular Science on Wetlands

Some time ago, China’s wetlands were very popular. As a traveler, you must visit China’s wetlands. Then China’s wetlands are all Where is it distributed? Is there any relevant schematic diagram? Here is a high-definition picture for everyone to analyze.

Wetlands refer to natural or artificial, perennial or seasonal water accumulation areas and waters with significant ecological functions, including sea areas with a water depth of no more than six meters at low tide (paddy fields and artificial waters used for breeding) and tidal flats). Wetlands are also known as the "kidneys of the earth" because of their powerful ability to purify water sources and eliminate dirt. In addition, wetlands also play a significant role in enriching species diversity, improving local climate, and regulating water circulation.

In my country’s vast territory, the total wetland area accounts for 56.3493 million square hectares. As a well-deserved wetland country, China has important responsibilities in wetland ecological protection. In 1992, China joined the Ramsar Convention, and 7 wetlands in my country were included in the "List of Wetlands of International Importance"; as of now, the number of wetlands in China has increased to 64. Distribution map of China’s internationally important wetlands and nationally important wetlands. Source/"National Wetland Protection Plan (2022-2030)"

China has been working hard on the road to wetland protection. Behind this wetland protection list are the footprints of China's step-by-step efforts in wetland protection and environmental governance. What achievements has China made in wetland protection over the past thirty years since joining the group? Open this "China Wetland Map" and embark on this wetland journey together! China's wetland distribution map. Cartography/Chengyou 2. Main Wetlands

Shenhu Wetland

Starting from Wuhan

The starting point of this wetland trip should naturally be the conference The host city is Wuhan, known as the “City of Thousands of Businesses and the City of Hundreds of Lakes”. Wuhan, which has always given people the impression of being bold and straightforward, is actually a city surrounded by water, with rivers and lakes crisscrossing the territory. Calling Wuhan the "City of One Hundred Lakes" is not an exaggeration, it is even a kind of humility: in Wuhan, there are 166 lakes alone, 165 rivers, and a wetland area of ??162,000 hectares. In order to protect these precious wetland resources, Wuhan has built 10 wetland parks and 5 nature reserves. Hubei Shenhu Wetland Nature Reserve, which was included in the list of internationally important wetlands in 2013, is one of them.

Shenhu Wetland is located in the southwest of Caidian District, Wuhan City, in the triangle area where the Yangtze River and Han River meet. It is a rare typical freshwater lake and swamp wetland among the lakes at the same latitude on the earth. It is also the largest lake in my country. The nearest freshwater wetland to the city. The area where Shenhu Lake is located has a flat landform and a confluence of rivers. Once the river overflows, it will be deposited here. Over time, it will become a vast wetland of more than 10,000 hectares.

Because it is located on the East Asia-Australia migratory bird flyway and has a unique latitude, Shenhu Wetland has become the only "luxury hotel" for migratory birds traveling north and south. Here, you can not only see the red-crowned crane, the "immortal mount" in Chinese paintings, coming on the clouds, but also rare birds such as the gray-breasted bamboo pheasant and the spotted-backed warbler. As of the end of 2021, the Shenhu Bird List contains 271 species of wild birds in 55 families and 20 orders, including 63 species of nationally protected birds alone.

However, such a bird paradise was once depressed. From the 1950s to the late 1980s, water conservancy projects such as the Dujiatai Flood Diversion Gate of the Han River and the Shenhu Control Gate were built in the Shenhu area, resulting in the connection between Shenhu and the Han River being blocked. This directly affects the survival of migratory fish that originally lived in the sinking lake area. Not only that, because the Shenhu Wetland is close to human settlements, it faces particularly significant threats from human activities such as reclaiming lakes for farmland and fence farming. At that time, people did not have enough awareness of wetland protection, and relevant laws, regulations, and protection funds were relatively scarce. In the past 50 years, Shenhu Wetland once retreated from north to south, with the wetland area shrinking ratio as high as 76.76%.

In order to protect this paradise for migratory birds, in 2005, the Hubei Provincial and Municipal Finance Department launched special funds for the construction of Shenhu Wetland and began to gradually restore the ecology of Shenhu; in 2013, Shenhu Wetland was selected into the list of internationally important wetlands.

Today, in Sunken Lake, birds have gathered again, and the land that was originally used as farmland and breeding has returned to the water. The beautiful Shenhu Wetland is not only a good place for Wuhan citizens to relax during holidays, but also a "holy place" for bird lovers from all over the world. The harmonious existence of man and migratory birds, man and nature is the most beautiful picture of Shenhu Lake today. Lake and wetland distribution map. Cartography/Orange Pomelo

Literary Twins: Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake

If we say which wetland is the most prominent in the history of Chinese literature, Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake will definitely compete for three days and three days. night. You have Meng Haoran's "August Lake is level, the emptiness is mixed with Taiqing", I have Su Shi's "Duchang County on Poyang Lake, there are ten thousand houses with lights and towers"; you have "Guanfu Baling's victory appearance" in "Yueyang Tower", "A Lake in Dongting", I have "The setting clouds and solitary swans fly together, the autumn water is the same color as the sky" from "Preface to Prince Teng's Pavilion". In 1992, these two "great heroes" in the history of literature joined hands and were among the first to be selected into the list of internationally important wetlands.

Not only are they similar in literary status, the natural conditions of the two lakes are also quite similar. The first is the area. Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake have been alternately listed as the largest freshwater lakes in my country, and both are well-deserved "big lakes". The second is the location. Both are located on the south bank of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, in a humid subtropical monsoon climate near 30° north latitude. Finally, there is the terrain. Both places are lakes formed in basins surrounded by mountains, and both are hilly areas with red soil. There are so many similarities that it is not an exaggeration to call the two "twin brothers" on the south bank of the Yangtze River.

Although they can almost be regarded as "twin brothers", the two lakes also have their own characteristics, which have also caused different difficulties in their respective development processes.

Dongting Lake, known as Yunmengze in ancient times, is located on the south bank of Jingjiang River in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. It receives water from the Songzi, Taiping, Ouchi, and Tiaoxian estuaries of the Yangtze River in the north, and borders Hunan, Zi, and Yuan in the south and west. , Lisi River and Miluo River and other small tributaries. There is only one Dongting Lake, which needs to bear the excess floods from the Yangtze River and the Xiang, Zi, and Yuan rivers. The average runoff into the lake over many years is five times that of the Yellow River. Therefore, in the history of the development of Dongting Lake, flood disasters have always been a major problem that troubled people. Along with the floods came a large amount of sediment, which accumulated on the lake bottom over the years and continued to erode the lake area. Coupled with the influence of surrounding human activities, Dongting Lake, which was once "shaking Yueyang City" in poetry, has been divided into three parts: west, south and east, connected only by flood channels. The picture overlooking Yueyang Tower and Dongting Lake is from: Visual China

Poyang Lake, known as Pengze in ancient times, is located in the north of Jiangxi Province. It is now the largest freshwater lake in China and the second largest freshwater lake in China after Qinghai Lake. Big lake. However, these "biggest" names of Poyang Lake are actually a bit "unworthy of the name". Because Poyang Lake is a seasonal lake, although it is also supplied by water sources such as Ganjiang River, Xiuhe River, Xinjiang River, Raohe River, and Fuhe River, it mainly relies on the Yangtze River for water supply. During the flood season, the ocean is vast and the water reaches the sky. During the dry season, only patches of tidal flats are left, even covered with weeds as tall as a person, making people mistakenly think that they have entered the northern prairie.

Because of Poyang Lake’s characteristics of “a line of dry water and a line of flood water”, the lake area is more susceptible to erosion by farmland. Coupled with the increase in water conservancy facilities on the main stream of the Yangtze River, the amount of river water that can reach Poyang Lake during flood season is also decreasing, further accelerating the shrinkage of the lake area. However, these newly built water conservancy facilities cannot completely eliminate the harm of floods. In the event of a severe flood, the area of ??the Poyang Lake area originally used to absorb the floods from the Yangtze River has been reduced. The river water has nowhere to go and can only continue to rush down the river, ultimately endangering the downstream areas.

With the gradual deepening of the understanding of natural ecology, the protection of the two lakes has received more and more attention. In 1985, Jiangxi Province began to organically combine mountain management, river management, lake management, and poverty control to gradually restore the ecology of the Poyang Lake basin; in 1992, East Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake were included in the list of internationally important wetlands; in 1993, Dongting Lake was It is included in the national plan for the management of large rivers and lakes; in 2002, the South Dongting Lake and West Dongting Lake Nature Reserves were included in the list of internationally important wetlands. Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake, this pair of "twin gems" that were once embedded in the long history of literature, are gradually restoring their glory that once nurtured countless romances and dreams.

Pearl of the Plateau: Qinghai Lake

After talking about the largest freshwater lake, we moved our sights westward to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Qinghai Lake, the largest inland lake and the largest saltwater lake in China, is a blue pearl embedded in the vast plateau.

Qinghai Lake was formed due to geological structural faults between 200,000 and 2 million years ago. It was originally an outflowing freshwater lake connected to the Yellow River. Later, due to various geological activities, the connection between Qinghai Lake and the Yellow River was blocked. After millions of years of evaporation and sedimentation, the salt content of Qinghai Lake water continued to increase, eventually forming a large lake with a water area of ??431,700 hectares today.

Perhaps only by actually coming to Qinghai Lake can you understand the meaning of "sea" in this name. The boundless blue lake, the white sandy beach, and the birds passing overhead from time to time. If it weren't for the cold weather on the plateau, you would even wonder whether you were in the depths of the plateau or on a beautiful beach. The picture of birds flying over the surface of Qinghai Lake is from: Visual China

These birds flying overhead from time to time are one of the precious treasures of Qinghai Lake. If you look for Qinghai Lake in the list of internationally important wetlands, you will be surprised because the name "Qinghai Lake" does not appear in the list. What you can find in the list is a wetland called "Bird Island". In fact, this "Bird Island", which was included in the list of internationally important wetlands in 1992, is exactly two small islands located in the northwest corner of the vast Qinghai Lake. The one in the west is called "Haixi Mountain" and the one in the east is called "Haixi Pi". ”, covering an area of ??only 80 hectares. Although small in area (compared to Qinghai Lake), these two islands are important gathering places for many migratory birds that come from the South China Sea and even the Indian Ocean to breed northward. Some migratory birds from the north also spend the winter here. The large number of migratory birds that come here to live temporarily can be seen from the nickname of "Haixi Mountain", "Egg Island". This is because during the breeding season of migratory birds, the eggs can be densely covered all over the island, hence the name. Another "Haisipi" is also known as "Cormorant Island". There are hundreds of thousands of waterbirds living in the entire waters of Qinghai Lake, with 189 species belonging to 15 orders and 35 families. It is a veritable "Museum of Birds

".

Once upon a time, Qinghai Lake also faced the crisis of reduced water flow and reduced water area. With climate warming, increased melting water from mountains, and people's efforts to save water and protect the ecology of the lake area, Qinghai Lake has increased its water volume equivalent to 100 West Lakes in the past 16 years. Like Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake, Qinghai Lake is gradually recovering its historical glory.

For most tourists, the biggest concern when visiting Qinghai Lake is its high altitude. In fact, although it is located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the lake area of ??Qinghai Lake is only 3193m above sea level, which is relatively low. However, in Qinghai Lake, we still need to take certain measures to prevent high tide and countermeasures. Passengers traveling by car

should prepare enough anti-reactive drugs and oxygen bottles if necessary. After arriving at the scenic spot, do not be tempted by the blue sky and clear water

to run around taking photos or doing aerobic exercise. The best way to appreciate Qinghai Lake is to breathe in harmony with the world and quietly feel its beauty in the tranquility of nature.

Swamp Wetland

After returning from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, we headed north to a wonderland between white mountains and black water - Zhalong Wetland. Swamp wetland distribution map. Cartography/Chengyou

If Zhalong Wetland has any characteristic, it is "big". With a total area of ??210,000 hectares, Zhalong Wetland is the largest wetland in Asia and the fourth largest in the world. It is also the largest reed wetland in the world. Different from the wetland mentioned before that can be called "? Lake", although part of the Zhalong Wetland is also called Zhalong Lake, the lake area is only 360 hectares, and most of the area is still a permanent swamp wetland.

The formation of Zhalong Wetland is inseparable from the Wuyuer River and Shuangyang River. These two rivers originate from the western foothills of the Lesser Hinggan Mountains, flow out of the hilly area, and then enter the Songnen Plain. Surrounded by mountains, the Songnen Plain is actually more like a large-scale basin; the cold northeastern climate has created a deep permafrost layer, and added a thick bottom to this large basin of water. In such a natural "water storage basin", the abundant water resources nourish the lush reeds and other aquatic plants, becoming a natural home for birds returning from the north. Reeds in Zhalong Wetland. Source/Screenshot from the documentary "China Wetlands"

In Zhalong, the most important bird is the red-crowned crane. As the world's largest red-crowned crane breeding base, there are currently about 2,000 wild red-crowned cranes in the world, including 300 in Zhalong, as well as artificially bred and semi-free-range populations. Just as you must go to Sichuan to see giant pandas, you must come to Zhalong to see red-crowned cranes. In addition to red-crowned cranes, Zhalong Wetland also has various cranes such as Bai Zhenhe, White Crane, and Demoiselle Crane.

There are 15 species of cranes in the world, 6 of which can be seen in Zhalong. I'm afraid even the ancient immortals had to stop in Zhalong before they could choose a satisfactory "car".

However, such a "land of cranes" has also faced threats. With the continuous development of the Songnen Plain, the Zhalong Wetland has been severely short of water for a long time. At the worst point, the wetland area in the core area with water was less than 10,000 hectares, a total shrinkage of 20 times. Although we have been protecting rare birds in the Zhalong Wetland since 1976, we lack understanding of the water resources and ecological protection of the wetland itself.

Due to lack of water, the originally lush aquatic plants have also turned from the birds’ homeland into a hell. From August to October 2001, a large-scale wildfire broke out in Zhalong Wetland, burning more than 50% of the reeds in the core area of ??the reserve. After that, Zhalong Wetland caught fire many times. The severe ecological protection situation forces people to change their ideas. In 2001, the Qiqihar Intermediate Water Diversion Management Office began to replenish water to the Zhalong Wetland, pioneering artificial water replenishment in a wetland reserve in my country. In 2009, a long-term water replenishment mechanism for Zhalong Wetland was established. Thanks to people's unremitting efforts, the reeds that were once burned by the fire have quickly recovered, and the ecological environment of Zhalong Wetland is also constantly improving. Today, Zhalong has once again become a paradise for birds.

As an undoubted bird-watching destination, the biggest feature of Zhalong Wetland is that you can see groups of red-crowned cranes even on heavy snowy days. Wild red-crowned cranes are migratory birds. They usually come north to the Northeast in spring to breed their offspring, and then migrate south to warmer places to overwinter in autumn. Because Zhalong Wetland is a breeding base for red-crowned cranes, there are hundreds of artificially bred red-crowned cranes even in winter. The white snow, black feathers, and red tops are not only the memory of traditional Chinese painting engraved in the bone marrow of our culture, but also a beautiful scene created by the joint efforts of nature and human beings. born.

Mangrove Wetland

Is there necessarily water in the wetland? It’s really not the case. Among the wetlands mentioned before, we saw meadow wetlands, reed wetlands and other types. But what is it like to say that trees can grow in water? Mangrove wetland distribution map. Cartography/Orange Pomelo

In some coastal wetlands in southern my country, we can see this kind of "trees growing in the water" scene. This kind of tree that can grow in water is called a mangrove. It can grow into very tall trees in Southeast Asia. However, in my country, due to climate reasons, most of them are relatively short. For most plants, seawater with too much salt content, swamps with too much water content, and seawater that comes with high tides are warnings that they are "not suitable for growth", but mangroves can cope with it easily.

Its trunk often does not grow indefinitely, but will first grow many supporting roots and penetrate into the soil to maintain its stability. In order to ensure that they can obtain oxygen in the shallow swamp, the mangroves will also grow some breathing roots that extend out of the ground. In order to grow in salt water, the mangrove has evolved a salt-excreting gland that can absorb salt and excrete it from the body. With these "exclusive skills", mangroves have become almost the only "residents" of coastal swamp areas. Once they encounter a suitable growing environment, they will multiply rapidly and form a very spectacular mangrove forest.

For coastal areas, the existence of mangroves is crucial. Their unique salt-discharging ability can effectively promote the purification of seawater; their strong root systems can stabilize water and soil and prevent coasts from being invaded by seawater. Most importantly, they are home to many species of seabirds. These seabirds make their homes in mangroves, feed on them, and excrete their feces to nourish the land. With the help of mangroves, many coastal saline-alkali lands can be turned into fertile soil suitable for farming. The picture of mangroves at the mouth of Beilun River in Dongxing, Guangxi comes from: Tu Chong Creative

But the mangrove ecology is also very fragile. Historically, my country's mangrove forest area once reached 250,000 hectares. By 2001, it had dropped to 22,000 hectares. Pollution from marine debris and human activities that destroy farmland are the main culprits in destroying mangroves. In order to protect the only mangrove resources, mangrove reserves have been established in the southern coastal areas of my country. In 2002, Guangxi Shankou Mangrove Nature Reserve and Guangdong Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve were included in the list of internationally important wetlands; in 2008, Fujian Zhangjiangkou Mangrove National Nature Reserve and Guangxi Beilun Estuary National Nature Reserve , Guangdong Haifeng Wetland is included in the list.

With the establishment of mangrove reserves in patches, more than 55% of China's mangroves have so far been included in nature reserves. China's mangrove area has also slowly recovered from 22,000 hectares to With 2.7 hectares, it is one of the few countries in the world with a net increase in mangrove area.

Among the many mangrove wetlands, Guangdong Haifeng Wetland is the most special one. This is a "no red line" protected area. In the reserve, migratory birds live freely and villagers farm as usual. But unlike other areas where farmland erodes wetlands, villagers here live in harmony with the mangroves and even provide a feeding environment for migratory birds. 3. Other wetlands

What other wetlands are there?

In addition to the wetlands introduced before, there are many wetlands in this list, which are worth a look - the distribution map of other wetlands. Cartography/Orange Pomelo

The Source of Civilization: The Source of the Three Rivers

The wetland that is very important to the Chinese nation is undoubtedly the Source of the Three Rivers. As the source of the Yangtze River, Yellow River and Lancang River, known as the "Chinese Water Tower", the source of the three rivers is also one of the areas with the highest concentration of high-altitude biodiversity in the world. It is not only the source of life for the Chinese nation, but also the source of Tibetan life. It is the habitat of plateau creatures such as antelopes, wild yaks, black-necked cranes, and snow leopards. In 2004, Eling Lake and Zhaling Lake in the Sanjiangyuan region were included in the list of internationally important wetlands. Sanjiangyuan. Source/Screenshot from the documentary "China Wetlands"

City Back Garden: Hangzhou Xixi Wetland

In Hangzhou, there is more than just the West Lake.

Less than 5 kilometers away from the West Lake, there is the "Xixi Wetland". Beneath the reputation of West Lake, Xixi Wetland often appears dim. But in fact, when the West Lake in the center of the city was no longer able to sustain its ecological maintenance, it was the Xixi Wetland that stepped forward to continue its important role as the "kidney of the city". In Xixi, there is also no shortage of cultural relics. Xixi Meishu, Qiu Xue'an, Hongzhong Villa, and the modern "Sky Rover" sightseeing helium balloon, integrate ancient and modern times, with both historical richness and modern convenience. In 2009, Xixi Wetland in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province was included in the list of internationally important wetlands. In the future, Xixi still has endless possibilities.

National Memory: Minquan Yellow River Wetland

As the "mother river" of the Chinese nation, the Yellow River in history was not really "good-tempered". It has experienced 7 changes of course, each time Every time the route is changed, a wetland will be left at the original route. The Henan Minquan Ancient Yellow River Wetland, which was included in the list of internationally important wetlands in 2020, is what remains after the Yellow River changed its course several times.

In December of the second year of Tianxing of the Jin Dynasty (1232), in order to capture Guide Prefecture (now Shangqiu, Henan), the Mongolian army dug up the Yellow River and tried to attack the city with water. Although the Jin Dynasty eventually perished, the flooding of the river also caused serious disasters to the people on both sides of the river. After a long period of flooding, in the eighth year of Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty (1495), Liu Daxia built Huanglinggang and redefined the course of the Yellow River. In the fifth year of Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty (1855), a serious flood broke out in the Yellow River and burst at Tongwaxiang in Lanyang, Henan Province, ending the 700-year history of seizing the Huaihe River and entering the sea. This section of the Yellow River's old course, which has been in use for 700 years, has become a new wetland. Today, the old course of the Yellow River has regained its vitality. In this green grass and clear water, you may still hear the roar of the Yellow River for hundreds of years.

After seeing so many beautiful wetlands, are you already eager to try it? Why not pick up a small book and plan your future trip to the wetlands!

References:

< p>[1] Feng Jiang, Hu Feng, Tan Wenzhuo. Thousands of birds inhabit the Sunken Lake Wetland, showing vigorous vitality [J]. Land Greening, 2022(03):50-51.

[2] Chen Yu , Lei Kun, Du Yao, Ma Teng. Identification of the degradation process of Shenhu Wetland in the past 50 years [J]. Earth Science, 2021, 46(02):661-670.

[3] Guo Huidong. Dongting Comparative Study between Lake and Poyang Lake[C]//.Collection of 2010 Dongting Lake Development Forum.[Unknown publisher], 2010:256-263.

[4] Zhalong National Nature Reserve, Heilongjiang Province Official website

[5] Official website of the Wetland Management Department of the People's Republic of China

Source: National Humanities and History