Construction began on Monday for China's first coastal wetland museum in Dongying city in east China's Shandong Province, center of the Yellow River Delta.

The nature museum is sited on the delta nature reserve containing estuarine areas and original water courses of the Yellow River. Covering 153,000 hectares, it has the largest and the most integrated wetland eco-system in the earth's warm temperate zones.

The nature reserve is also among 13 key globally-protected tracts of wetland around the world.

According to environmentalists, there are 1,921 species of wildlife in the delta reserve, among which red-crowned cranes, hooded cranes, white storks and bustards are all state protected. The reserve also has 51,000 hectares of natural grassland.

The museum is expected to be completed in July next year.

( People's Daily June 23, 2002 )