As the first wetland park in China, construction for the first phase will cover 1 square kilometer near the pristine area of the Chongming Dongtan Preservation Zone and start early next year. The 25-million yuan (US$3 million) investment is shared by the city government, the Shanghai Industrial and Investment (Holdings) Co. Ltd. and the State Forestry Bureau.

According to a long-term plan, the wetland park will finally cover an area of 24 square kilometers, including a bird habitat, a golf course and villas.

"In one year, the 1-square-kilometer area in Dongwangsha will turn into a haven for people to get close to nature," said Qiu Zhonghong, who is in charge of the project.

A wetland park is different from man-built parks, featuring more wetlands and a natural environment.

"The ultimate goal of the wetland park is to provide an ideal living environment for precious migratory birds coming to Chongming in winter," said Tang Chendong, an ornithologist with the Shanghai Agriculture and Forestry Bureau.

The park, by introducing more plant species, will include a waterfowl attraction area, which can cater to at least 20,000 water birds, a meadow and an agricultural area for aquaculture.

At the same time, observation houses and wooden passages will be built to allow visitors to get closer to nature.

But tang said that park visitors will have to register with the Shanghai Wildlife Protection Station 10 days before visiting the place, detailing their time, the number of visitors and facilities to be used.

"Apart from the entry pass, guests will have to carry a passport issued by the station because we plan to control the number of visitors to prevent any negative impact on the birds," he said.

(eastday.com December 26, 2002)