At the mouth of Hangzhou Bay where the Qiantang River meets the sea lies Hangzhou's largest riverside tidal flat wetland—the Qiantang Greater Bay Area Wetland. When sunlight spreads a layer of silver fragments across the clear lake surface, egrets, grey herons, black-winged stilts and other birds frolic and forage or soar with outstretched wings among the lush reeds, sketching a magnificent picture of humans and nature living in harmony.
This place, where Hangzhou's first rays of sunlight touch the earth, is also an important stopover on migratory bird routes, rich in avian resources. It was once sparsely populated and unmanaged, attracting photography enthusiasts and bird lovers, while also drawing the covetous eyes of poachers.
Volunteers spontaneously formed the Qiantang Green Ecological Public Service Team to discourage illegal fishing and hunting, while also cleaning up garbage and restoring damaged ecological areas. Over time, the volunteer team grew to more than 3,000 people, and the former bird nets have been replaced by greenery, continuously enhancing the wetland's biodiversity.
To date, over 140 bird species have been recorded in the Qiantang Greater Bay Area Wetland, including 22 species under national key protection and 18 species under Zhejiang provincial protection. The resident bird population has increased by 25%.
Last September, the Hangzhou Qiantang Greater Bay Area Provincial Wetland Park opened to the public, attracting an average of 15,000 visitors monthly.
"We've introduced native tree species, windbreak trees, and salt-tolerant plants to improve the wetland's natural environment, while also enhancing security forces and electronic patrol systems to provide a good habitat for migratory birds," explained the relevant official. "Currently, we are implementing the 'Blue Bay' ecological restoration project to create a new comfortable living space for birds."