A beacon of biodiversity, wetland in Jiangsu serves as tranquil respite for visitors

Editor's note: This year, the People's Republic of China will celebrate its 75th anniversary, marking a crucial year for achieving the goals and tasks outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25). China Daily is publishing a visual series focusing on the high-quality development of various fields, capturing the process of Chinese-style modernization through photographic images. This week, we are highlighting ecological restoration and tourism development at a wetland park in Jiangsu province.

As one of the first national wetland parks in China, the Qinhu Lake Wetland in Jiangsu province is known for its diverse wildlife and a beautiful, tranquil environment. Eighty percent of the land is covered by aquatic vegetation.

Over the years, Jiangyan district in Taizhou city has undertaken three phases of restoration projects at the park, rejuvenating nearly 670 hectares of wetlands. Residents have planted over 4.6 million trees and more than 1.8 million aquatic plants at the wetland.

Due to their efforts, the number of animal species at the wetland soared from 182 in 2005 to 392 in 2021, and the number of plant species rose from 135 to 251 during the same period.

Notably, the wetland is now home to milu deer, a key national protected species also known as Pere David's deer.

The wetland has also become an important stopover site for migratory birds along the coast of eastern China, as well as a breeding ground for egrets and wild ducks. Every year, over 30 species of nearly 100,000 migratory birds will visit the wetland.

A flock of milu deer feeds on a meadow at the park. [Photo by Xu Dacai/For China Daily]

The ecological restoration efforts undertaken have spurred the flourishing development of tourism in the area.

Visitors at Qinhu Lake can enjoy spectacular views of the wetland in spring, enjoy nighttime excursions in summer, savor fresh fruits and crabs in autumn and indulge in hot springs in winter.