The State Council, China's cabinet, has approved the establishment of two more state-level nature reserves in north China's Hebei Province, bringing to four the total number of such protection zones in the province.

With the creation of the Dahaituo Forest and Wildlife Nature Reserve and the Hengshui Lake Wetland and Wild Bird Nature Reserve, the total acreage of state-level nature reserves in the province has risen to more than 59,200 hectares from 36,170 hectares, according to statistics from the provincial forestry bureau.

The Dahaituo nature reserve, south of Chicheng County of Zhangjiakou City, borders the state-level Songshan Nature Reserve in Beijing. It was made a provincial-level nature reserve in 1999.

The 4,248-hectare nature reserve is home to wild plants such as Gastrodia elata, the tuber of which is used in Chinese medicine, and cork trees, the bark of which is also found in traditional Chinese medicine.

Wild animals living in the nature reserve include leopards, golden eagles and koklass pheasants, with the scientific name of Pucrasia marolopha, all of which are protected by the state.

The Hengshui Lake Wetland and Wild Bird Nature Reserve, located southwest of Hengshui City, covers an area of 18,787 hectares. It was made a provincial-level nature reserve in 2000.

Inhabiting the Hengshui Lake are more than 150 species of waterfowl, such as red-crowned cranes, white cranes, oriental white storks, black storks, golden eagles, pelicans and white-foreheaded geese, all of which are protected by the state.

China had established 197 state-level nature reserves in 30 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions by January this year.

(Xinhua News Agency June 23, 2003)