The National Geological Park on Chongming Island will officially open on April 28.

The park covers the whole of Chongming Island, about 1,200 square kilometers, and has five main tourist areas and a museum.

The island in the Yangtze River features wetlands and sandbars.

Visitors can see the park's Estuary Museum in the new town of Chongming, where there are displays of ancient culture, the nature of the river and projects to clean up the water. Scenic spots include the Dongtan Wetlands Zone and the Dongtan Nature Reserve.

The tidal estuary has seen changes of sea level in the past 2.6 million years, with ancient sea banks and sand bars.

Tourists can reach Chongming Island by ferry. An expressway bridge is expected to be completed in 2009.

(Shanghai Daily April 15, 2008)