Changbai Nilhe River National Wetland Park

Changbai Nilhe River National Wetland Park

Changbai Nilhe River National Wetland Park is a national-level wetland park.

Nilhe River National Wetland Park is located to the east of the Nilhe River Ginseng Farm residential area in Changbai County, south of the northern branch of the Badagou River, and within parts of the operational areas of the Changbai Forest Management Bureau's Xiangyangchuan Forest Farm and Shisandagou Forest Farm. The wetland park lies within the jurisdiction of the Xiangyangchuan Forest Farm and Shisandagou Forest Farm under the Jilin Province Changbai Forest Management Bureau. Its geographical coordinates are between 41°03'03.8"–41°03'40.6" north latitude and 127°03'17.1"–127°04'44.1" east longitude, with an elevation ranging from 976 to 1100 meters, and a total area of 3,070.5 hectares.

It is estimated that the total investment for the construction of the Jilin Changbai Nilhe River National Wetland Park amounts to 75.4383 million yuan. This includes 63.5927 million yuan for engineering construction, 4.1965 million yuan for other costs, 3.3890 million yuan for basic contingency, and 4.2701 million yuan for working capital.

The Jilin Changbai Nilhe River National Wetland Park is an ecological and socially beneficial public welfare project. Its construction yields significant ecological and social benefits, along with sound economic returns. Through the development of the wetland park, the integrity of the Nilhe River wetland ecosystem will be effectively protected, and the wetland’s functions—including water conservation, high-quality water supply, erosion control, climate regulation, leisure, and cultural-scientific research—will be fully utilized. This will comprehensively enhance the ecosystem service value of the wetland park. In summary, the construction of the Jilin Changbai Nilhe River National Wetland Park offers notable ecological and social benefits, as well as good economic returns.

On January 10, 2013, the Jilin Provincial Forestry Department presided over an expert review meeting for the "General Planning of the Jilin Changbai Nilhe River National Wetland Park," where attending experts unanimously agreed to approve the technical proposal of the plan.

Jilin Province boasts rich wetland biodiversity. According to surveys, the province has a total of 613 species of wild wetland plants across 112 families and 253 genera, including 530 species of angiosperms, 49 species of bryophytes, 26 species of ferns, and 8 species of gymnosperms. There are also 297 species of wild wetland animals across 30 orders, 59 families, including 7 species under national first-class protection: the Oriental stork, black stork, scaly-sided merganser, white-naped crane, red-crowned crane, Siberian crane, and Saunders’s gull. Additionally, there are 18 species under national second-class protection, such as the greater white-fronted goose, whooper swan, mandarin duck, common crane, hooded crane, and demoiselle crane. Wetlands provide a favorable habitat for wildlife, offering abundant food and suitable living and breeding spaces for birds and fish, playing a crucial role in species preservation and biodiversity conservation. The Nilhe River National Wetland Park is rich in flora and fauna, hosting 326 species of wild plants across 84 families and 32 genera, including 5 species under national protection. It is also home to 233 species of wild vertebrates across 84 families and 32 orders, including 36 species under national protection, accounting for 40.8% of the known total number of vertebrate species in the province. The degradation or disappearance of wetlands would directly threaten biodiversity conservation and the survival of rare and endangered species. Therefore, constructing the Nilhe River National Wetland Park to protect and restore the wetland ecosystem is essential for biodiversity conservation.

Wetland protection and management involve multiple departments, levels, and fields, making the situation complex and the tasks challenging. Thus, through the development of wetland parks, on one hand, it can raise local governments’ awareness of wetland protection and promote the establishment and improvement of protection and management institutions. On the other hand, enhancing the capacity for wetland park protection and management—through institutional setup, staffing, equipment for patrols, and system development—will effectively improve the ability and level of wetland protection and management, thereby increasing its overall effectiveness.

Changbai County is situated at the southern foot of Changbai Mountain—one of China’s most famous mountains—and at the source of the renowned Yalu River. It is known as the “Changbai Forest Sea, the Hometown of Ginseng, a Natural Oxygen Bar, and a Green Treasure House.” In recent years, the tourism industry in Changbai County has developed rapidly, especially with the development of tourism products centered around the Wangtiane Scenic Area on the southern slope of Changbai Mountain, achieving significant results. However, the structure of Changbai County’s tourism products remains relatively single. To address this, the "Jilin Province Changbai Korean Autonomous County Tourism Industry Development Plan (2011–2020)" proposed “to focus on transitioning the tourism product system from sightseeing-oriented to leisure and vacation-oriented, and to build a leisure vacation model for the ‘Most Beautiful Changbai.’” Leveraging the region’s unique wetland and forest landscape resources, the Nilhe River National Wetland Park aims to establish an ecotourism and leisure vacation destination. This aligns perfectly with the overall strategic layout of Changbai County’s tourism development, helping to elevate the county’s status in ecotourism, enrich its tourism product offerings, and comprehensively promote the sustainable and leapfrog development of its tourism industry.

Source: Jilin Provincial Forestry Department