The Baer's pochard in Wuhan's Baoxie Lake. [Photo by Jun Yan]

Wuhan, part of Yun-Meng Lakes in ancient times and now awarded the "Wetland City Accreditation," is a "city born on wetlands." The capital city of central China's Hubei Province is quite unique for it is not only home to a population of over 10 million people but also enjoys abundant wetland resources, with the Yangtze River and one of its most important tributaries Hanjiang River flowing through the city, and 165 rivers and 166 lakes interwoven ...

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, Wuhan has thoroughly implemented President Xi Jinping's Thought on Ecological Civilization. Upholding the instructions Xi gave during his inspection tour in Wuhan, the city has put into practice the idea that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," resolutely committed to protecting wetlands with a long-term vision.

From 'Wetland of International Importance' to 'International Wetland City'

Globally, there are nine main routes along which birds migrate seasonally. Wuhan is a critical "transfer stop" and "gas station" on one of the busiest migration routes, the East Asia–Australasian Flyway. The Chenhu Lake Wetland Nature Reserve, located in the southwest of the city's Caidian District, is one of the best-preserved among all wetlands at the same latitude globally and is praised by ecologists as "a wetland waterfowl gene pool." It is the largest freshwater marsh wetland in the Jianghan Plain and one of China's 64 wetlands of international importance, where at its peak flocked nearly 100,000 winter birds.