Well-protected wetlands in the Yellow River Delta are ideal habitats for birds. A flock of spot-billed ducks flies over the reeds.  Photos by Ju Chuanjiang

 

Autumn is the best time of year to explore the Yellow River Delta in East China's Shandong Province. Home to one of the best wetlands in the country, it is a paradise for bird watchers and nature lovers, who flock there every fall.

 

We begin our journey from Dongying City, about 60 kilometers from the Yellow River Delta Nature Reserve. The one-hour bus ride is fairly pleasant. Unspoiled prairies embrace us, offering 360 degree-views of unobstructed horizon. The pristine wilderness has been carefully preserved and still evokes the call to adventure and discovery.

 

The colors of autumn - brown and gold - are enhanced by the intense blueness of the sky. Stretches of reeds spread like a carpet, dotting the shining surface of lakes and streams. In the distance we can see flocks of widgeons and egrets flying over the reeds.

 

The Yellow River - one of the major rivers that has sustained the country's age-old civilization - is the lifeline of the wetlands it threads in the delta area. More than 1,900 species of flora and fauna flourish in the 153,000 hectares of wetlands located at the estuary where the 5,464-kilometer-long river flows into the Bohai Sea. Among the birds here, more than 50 of them are endangered species under State protection.

 

Every year, the river rejuvenates the landscape by carrying about 1,200 million tons of silt, which is finally deposited in the delta area as fertile soil.

 

Over the past five years, the wetlands in the Yellow River Delta have increased 266.7 square kilometers because of the deposited silts, and the area continues expanding, according to Nie Liying, director of the nature reserve.

 

Every year during the rains, the river carves new channels and spills into surrounding plains, leaving behind a great number of streams and freshwater lakes, which serve as ideal habitats for wildlife.

 

Recognized as a significant stop for thousands of migratory birds from inner lands to the Pacific, the nature reserve is now a vacation destination of special interest for naturalists, hikers, campers and photographers.

 

The area's natural environment and resources have been greatly protected since the nature reserve was created in 1981. As a result, the population of many species of birds have increased greatly.

 

The extensive wetlands are always in a state of flux, and depending on the year, they can attract anywhere from hundreds to four million birds, such as red-crowned cranes, swans, white cranes and Chinese goosanders, which are all under the first-class State protection.

 

Recognized as a place of global and regional significance, the nature reserve is home to 1,500 Saunder's Gulls - about half of the world's population of this endangered species.

 

But birds are not the only reasons why the nature reserve attracts people from home and abroad.

 

The visual splendor of the nature reserve is changing with the seasons. In spring, the silver surface of the lakes is painted with the reflection of the blue sky and the clouds.

 

In the rainy season, the fields present a solid green landscape as far as the eye can see. With the arrival of autumn, the fields take on a golden sheen. At the end of October, reed blossoms rise up to the sky, as splendid as snow swirling in the wind.

 

Standing on the Yellow River Bridge, we marvel at the fields stretching before us, and the Yellow River, which flows into the Bohai Sea in the distance.

 

According to Nie, the Yellow River Delta has become a successful example of wetlands protection, which has gained recognition from local and international conservationists.

 

In October, the International Yellow River Forum was held in Dongying City. More than 300 experts from 64 countries discussed various topics relevant to wetlands protection. During the forum, experts noted the efforts that the Dongying government has made in protecting the delta.

 

In a published list of The Most Beautiful Places in China, sponsored by the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Geographical Society of China, the Yellow River Delta was named as one of the country's six most beautiful wetlands.

 

(China Daily November 1, 2007)