Mehekou Mopan Lake National Wetland Park

Mehekou Mopan Lake National Wetland Park

Mehekou Mopan Lake National Wetland Park is a national water conservancy scenic area and a national-level wetland park.

Jilin Mopan Lake Wetland Park is located within the territory of Mehekou City, Jilin Province, situated at the western foot of the Changbai Mountains and the upper reaches of the Huifa River. Its eastern boundary is defined by Xiaoyang Township in Mehekou City, its southern edge borders Jiangjiajie Township of Mehekou City, its western reach extends to Qingyuan County in Liaoning Province, and its northern edge adjoins Shancheng Town of Mehekou City. The geographical coordinates are longitude 125°15′–126°13′, latitude 42°08′–43°02′. The lake area stretches 36 kilometers from north to south and 22.5 kilometers from east to west, with a total park area of 3,278 hectares. The wetland type is classified as a reservoir-type wetland.

Since 2005, targeted wetland conservation activities have been carried out at Mopan Lake. In 2007, it was officially approved by the State Forestry Administration as a pilot site for a national-level wetland park. After six years of protection and development, it was formally designated and named Jilin Mopan Lake National Wetland Park in 2013. The park lies within the western low mountainous and hilly region of the Longgang Mountain Range in the Changbai Mountain System. The terrain of the lake area is higher in the southwest and lower in the northeast, with a divide ranging in elevation from 380 to 530 meters, and upstream valleys at an elevation of 469 meters. Due to the numerous mountains in the park, relatively low elevation differences, and fragmented terrain, the area features many island-like mountain ridges, valley forks, and diverse wetland types. It displays a variety of landscapes including dense forests on ridges — shrub and sparse woodlands — platform grass marshes, as well as lakeside reeds and cattails — reservoir and lake waters. Geological surveys indicate that the Mopan Lake Wetland Park sits on the Liaodong anticline, within the eastern part of the Shenyang geotectonic axis, atop the Tieling and Jingyu uplifts in Jilin Province. Due to the influence of the Yanshan Movement, most of the structures trend northeast, with northwest secondary trends. The bedrock foundation of the park largely consists of pre-Sinian granite gneiss, along with intrusive rock veins such as granite, diabase, and monzonitic porphyry. In 1944, this area was part of the continuous extension of the Changbai Mountains. During the early Qing Dynasty, when it was designated as an imperial hunting ground, the entire region was covered with dense forests and abundant wildlife resources. At that time, dozens of local specialties were presented as tributes to the Qing imperial court. However, subsequent development and the Russo-Japanese War led to forest destruction. Especially during the Japanese occupation of Northeast China, forest resources suffered from exploitative logging, devastating the mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests and wiping out primeval forests. To exploit China’s resources, the Japanese Empire began conscripting laborers in the same year to build the Hailong Reservoir. Construction stopped one year later following Japan’s surrender (with only the dam foundation having been excavated). After the founding of New China, the former Hailong County Committee and County Government mobilized the entire population to rebuild the Hailong Reservoir in order to harness benefits, prevent disasters, develop production, and improve people’s livelihoods. On July 15, 1958, the dam was closed and the reservoir began impounding water. By 1959, it started providing irrigation benefits.

When the Mopan Lake Reservoir was first built, the forest condition in the reservoir area was severely damaged. Aside from remnants of some natural secondary forests and a small amount of plantation, the forest coverage rate was only about 30%. Through nearly decades of afforestation, forest closure for regeneration, and effective protection, the Mopan Lake area now boasts lush forests with a coverage rate exceeding 50%. The favorable ecological environment provides an ideal habitat for a wide range of wildlife. Years of monitoring and statistics show that over ten thousand egrets and grey herons now inhabit Mopan Lake, making it an important breeding and habitat ground for herons in Northeast China. Thanks to recent conservation and restoration efforts, a small number of mandarin ducks and countless wild ducks, gulls, and other birds have also made their homes here.

Mopan Lake’s excellent natural ecological environment, abundant natural resources, and beautiful scenery have attracted visitors from all over. The lake has gained increasing attention from all sectors of society and has become a well-known tourist attraction in Mehekou City and surrounding regions. In the 1980s, the Mehekou municipal government, in order to strengthen the protection and management of wildlife resources and develop tourism, created a quality wetland tourism landscape belt featuring natural sites such as Egret Island, Fox Fairy Cave, Snake Mountain, and Turtle Island. These attract over 100,000 nature-loving tourists annually. The Mopan Lake waters are embraced by forests and marshes, with surrounding vegetation consisting of original secondary forests, natural broadleaf forests, plantations, and shrubs. The lakeside zones include marshes, reed marshes, and mountain areas. The undisturbed surrounding ecological environment effectively purifies the water and controls soil erosion, resulting in high-quality, unpolluted lake water with balanced pH levels. According to tests by the Mehekou Environmental Protection Department, the water meets China’s Class III water quality standards.

After years of water source protection and natural restoration, the park has developed a healthy ecological environment and formed an optimal ecosystem cycle model. It now showcases a distinctive natural ecological system integrating forests, water bodies, and marshes, along with a paradise for wildlife, serving as a strong representative and typical example within the mid-temperate monsoon climate zone.