Across China: Wetland protection bears fruits in northernmost province

Red-crowned cranes are seen at Zhalong National Nature Reserve in Qiqihar, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Aug. 1, 2018. When summer comes, the Fujin National Wetland Park in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province becomes a paradise for wild birds. However, it was a completely different scene years ago. The wetland park used to be a huge tract of low-lying farmland. The original ecological system of the wetland has been restored since policies were implemented to turn marginal farmland into forests, grassland and wetlands across the province. Heilongjiang boasts bountiful wetland resources, with 55,600 square km of wetlands. Zhalong National Nature Reserve, some 700 km away from the Fujin wetland, has also seen an increasing number of rare birds in recent years. The province has unveiled wetland protection regulations as early as 2003, one of the earliest provinces in China to carry out local legislation to protect wetlands. In 2018, the province stepped up efforts to manage illegal agricultural development and tourist facilities around wetlands in Heilongjiang. Meanwhile, tough measures to crack down on illegal hunting of wildlife and more campaigns of wildlife protection have been carried out in the province over the past few years. (Xinhua/Meng Chenguang)