Jilin Zhenlai Huan Cheng National Wetland Park

Jilin Zhenlai Huan Cheng National Wetland Park

Jilin Zhenlai Huan Cheng National Wetland Park is a national-level wetland park.

Zhenlai Huan Cheng National Wetland Park is situated in the transitional zone between the meadow steppe of the Songnen Plain and the typical steppe of the Inner Mongolia Plateau. It is a reed marsh wetland park that features the typical wetland characteristics of the region. The park covers a total area of 2,785.29 hectares, encircling the county town of Zhenlai in a crescent shape. Its geographical coordinates are between 123°10′58″ and 123°19′23″ east longitude, and 45°49′24″ and 45°55′58″ north latitude. The lake wetlands cover 1,104.2 hectares, accounting for 39.6% of the park’s total area, with a wetland rate of 39.6%; marshy meadows span 1,600.25 hectares, making up 57.5% of the total area; and other land areas total 80.84 hectares, representing 2.9% of the park.

The wetland park hosts 1 family and 1 species of algae, 2 families and 4 species of fungi, and 59 families and 201 species of plants. This rich biodiversity makes Zhenlai Huan Cheng National Wetland Park highly significant for the protection of wetland ecosystems and biodiversity.

While protecting the natural ecosystem, the park also safeguards wildlife, especially providing essential habitats, migration stopovers, and breeding grounds for waterfowl, as well as living spaces for aquatic animals and plants. Through various conservation measures, the wetland ecosystem within the park will be further improved, maintaining a relatively stable balance in material cycling, energy flow, and information transfer. Genetic diversity will be preserved, making the wetland a true gene pool for species. As spring arrives, hundreds of bird species—including flocks of Siberian cranes, red-crowned cranes, wild geese, whooper swans, ruddy shelducks, and black-headed gulls—gather here. Against the backdrop of clear skies and dancing cranes, vast reed beds and teeming birdlife, along with fish playing in the water, create a uniquely beautiful scene.

The park features lakes, marshes, meadows, grasslands, and forests (including landscaped greenery), offering diverse ecosystems and abundant biological species. It serves as an important resting, habitat, and breeding destination for migratory birds traveling through inland China. At the same time, it is a key recreational site for residents of Zhenlai County. This is not only a place for people to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, connect with nature, and relax, but also a vibrant cultural space where art flourishes and ethnicities blend—a park that truly belongs to the city, its citizens, and its visitors.

Source: Jilin Provincial Forestry Department