1. come
2. go
3. go back
4. like xihuan
5. love ai
6. miss(you)
7. want
8. remember
9. forget
10. hungry
11. full(food)
12. sit
13. stand
14. sleep
15. awake
16. look
17. reserve
18. rent
19. stay
20. show
21. walk
22. run
23. say
24. tell
25. explain
26. press
27. open
28. closed
29. listen
30. leave
31. left
32. start
33. meet
34. arrive
35. return
Take a beak peek at Yellow riverside
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)