Cuihu Wetland Park

Cuihu Wetland Park

Beijing’s Cuihu Wetland Park is located in Shangzhuang Town, Haidian District, bordered by Daoxiang Lake Park to the west, adjacent to Shangzhuang Reservoir to the east, and flanked by municipal greenbelts to the north and south. The park covers a planned area of 700 hectares. The Cuihu Wetland Eco-Park was jointly invested in and constructed by the Qinglv Group Company, Jinxiu Dadi Company, the Beijing Water Authority, and Haidian District. It is a naturally beautiful area abundant in flora.

Currently, the first phase of the Cuihu Wetland project has been completed. By excavating a 200-meter ecological channel around the lake, a 1,500-mu low-lying area north of Shangzhuang Reservoir has been transformed into an eco-park featuring wetland ecological characteristics. Wetland flora and fauna have been introduced, and nine functional zones have been developed: lotus ponds, reed marshes, wild wetland plant exhibition areas, waterfowl pools, wetland eco-agriculture, science education zones, ornamental fish ponds and fishing areas, and water parks. These zones span a total area of 1 million m². The Cuihu Wetland Eco-Park utilizes the natural landscape and structure of the wetland to define and enhance its functional areas, creating a park that integrates leisure, entertainment, sightseeing, learning, and research. It fosters a harmonious blend of people, architecture, and water scenery, perfectly combining nature and beauty, vacationing, and academic study. At present, the first phase of the Cuihu Wetland project has been completed, with 1,000 mu developed and 600 mu of water area. Through the excavation of the ecological channel around the lake, a 1,500-mu low-lying area north of Shangzhuang Reservoir has been enclosed to form an eco-park with wetland ecological features. Over 400 species of wetland plants and animals have been introduced, forming a wetland landscape. The park includes lotus ponds, reed marshes, wild wetland plant exhibition areas, waterfowl protection zones, wetland eco-agricultural gardens, and an ecological water zone encircling the park.

Historically, Beijing had numerous rivers and a dense water system, boasting a well-developed wetland network, with wetlands accounting for no less than 15% of the city’s total land area. However, today, that figure has dwindled to just 3%. Beijing’s urban planning includes investing 336 million yuan by 2010 to develop 12 wetlands totaling 120,000 hectares, and Cuihu Wetland is one of them. In 1999, Cuihu Seed Industry Co., Ltd. collaborated with the Shangzhuang Township government and village committees to lease over 1,000 mu of land, digging a lake to grow lotuses in an attempt to develop sightseeing agriculture. However, due to poor management, the project did not succeed. In July 2003, Jinxiu Dadi Agricultural Co., Ltd. took over and initiated the “Ten-Thousand-Mu Wetland Restoration Project” at Cuihu, aiming to spend ten years developing a “wellness industry” to establish “West Lake in the south, Cuihu in the north.” In May 2005, the Ministry of Construction officially approved Beijing’s Haidian District Cuihu Wetland Park as a national urban wetland park. According to Jinxiu Dadi’s vision, with Cuihu Wetland in place, not only would a “high-tech, high-culture, high-nature” ecological agriculture be developed, but also Haidian’s northern new district would gain a flagship for its cultural and creative industries as well as leisure tourism. This idea received support from the Haidian District government, which pledged 2 billion yuan in funding and tasked Hairongda Company with assisting in the land acquisition process for the wetland. Promotional materials state that the overall planned area of the wetland park is 10,000 mu (including 6,000 mu of wetland and 4,000 mu of land), with the first phase of 1,500 mu already completed and nearly 800 mu of water surface. The park currently hosts over 40 species of waterfowl, totaling more than 6,000 individuals, including over 2,000 wild waterfowl. The park adheres to the principles of “prioritizing protection, ecology first, rational utilization, and sound development,” striving to achieve “sustainable urban development and harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.”

Transportation

Address: Shangzhuang Town, Haidian District, Beijing

Transportation: Take bus routes 303 or 512 to Shangzhuang Township Station, then transfer to a minibus to Cuihu Wetland Park

Shangzhuang Area: A township under the jurisdiction of Haidian District, Beijing. Established as the Shangzhuang People's Commune in 1961 and restructured as a township in 1984. It is located in the northernmost part of the district, covering an area of 39.8 square kilometers with a population of 13,000. It governs four village committees—Dongmachang, Shangzhuang, Baishuiwa, and Qianzhangshu—and one neighborhood committee, Xijiao Farm. Local township enterprises include machinery plants, wool scouring and sorting plants, and packaging factories. The area supports a combination of crop farming, animal husbandry, and fruit tree cultivation. Historical sites within the area include the tombs of Qing Dynasty Grand Secretary Mingzhu and poet Nalan Xingde, the ruins of the ancient Shuangta City, and a cast-iron ox relic from the Liao and Jin dynasties. … More detailed information about Shangzhuang Area++