Located to the southwest of Tanghai County in Hebei Province, on
the northern shore of the Bohai Sea, the Caofeidian Wetlands Park
lies 25 kilometers from the Port of Caofeidian. It is not only the
hinterland of the port, but also a hub connecting inland areas with
the Caofeidian Industrial Zone, to which the park is expected to
serve as a "back garden" in the future. 220 kilometers east of
Beijing and 150 kilometers west of Qin Huangdao, the park is a
thoroughfare enjoying a favorable location.
In the vast tracts of the park, a wide variety of animals and
plants thrive in some distinctive ecological zones. Caofeidian is
lauded as the only wetland and natural reserve for birds in Hebei
Province.
Three features distinguish the park. Covering an area of 11,000
hectares, the large size of the park is an important distinction.
Another is the diversity of wetland varieties. The park is a fine
example of the integration of natural wetlands with artificial
wetlands, boasting nine different types in total, including coastal
low beaches and reed ponds as well as rice fields and irrigation
canals. The third is its abundance of wild animals and plants.
It is home to 238 species of wild plants, including four species
of newly-discovered second-grade state-protected plants, ginkgo,
lotus, wild soybean, and wild water caltrop. It also boasts 107
species of phytoplankton, 17 species of wild terrestrial animals,
49 species of crustaceans, 63 of mollusks, 286 of insects, 124 of
fish and 307 species of birds. Among these, there are 9 species of
first-grade state-protected birds such as the red-crowned crane,
the white crane and the golden eagle. Additionally 42 other species
of second-grade state-protected birds found in Caofeidian are
swans, falcons, vultures and eagles. The whole wetland eco-system
is a habitat for rare migratory birds, where flocks from over 100
species migrate annually, totaling more than 60,000. The 0.57
hectare forest is well planned with a neatly-arranged tree grid,
offering an example of the shelter-forest landscape found in
northern China.
At present, the protection, exploitation and utilization of the
wetlands are gaining momentum with large ongoing projects such as
the construction of a direct highway to the port, a plain reservoir
and the Shougang International Expert Service Center. The wetlands
park-in-the-making will feature as a multi-functional tourist
attraction, combining travel, vacation, recreation, fitness,
exhibition and modern business services and wetlands culture.
(China.org.cn July 12, 2007)
