Chongming Xisha National Wetland Park

Chongming Xisha National Wetland Park

Chongming Xisha National Wetland Park is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a national wetland park.

The Xisha Wetland in Chongming covers a total area of 4,500 mu and is currently the only natural wetland in Shanghai featuring natural tidal phenomena and large tracts of coastal forested land. Starting last September, through ecological bird attraction, diverse plant configurations, and water purification projects, the wetland has been restored on the foundation of the original site to create a multifunctional wetland ecological demonstration area integrating science education, scientific research, leisure, and sightseeing.

Unlike the Dongtan Wetland, the recurring tidal phenomenon is a vital condition for the survival of Xisha Wetland. The average time between one tide rising and falling is 12 hours and 24 minutes. Due to the tides, the area has formed a rich variety of landforms, with crisscrossing waterways in the wetland including lakes, mudflats, inner rivers, reed beds, and marshes. Additionally, the ebb and flow of the tides have also fostered diverse wildlife in the wetland, such as migratory birds and sand crabs that come with the tides.

To allow visitors to get closer to nature, the wetland management has built a 2-kilometer-long wooden boardwalk, enabling visitors to stroll through the reeds and forests.

Xisha Wetland Park was established on September 19, 2005. It is located at the southwestern tip of Chongming Island, outside the Taoyuan Water Town in Luhua Town and the dam of Mingzhu Lake, covering a total area of 4,500 mu. It is the core component of the Chongming Island National Geopark and the site of the Chongming Island National Geopark Monument. It is also the only natural wetland in Shanghai featuring natural tidal phenomena and large tracts of coastal forested land, as well as an experimental base for wetland ecological restoration projects approved by the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission.

The geological relics and landscapes of Xisha Wetland mainly include “estuarine tidal flat geomorphological geological relics,” “wetland geomorphological geological relics,” as well as wetland vegetation, birds, and benthic animals. The park preserves two major categories and seventeen types of typical geological relics, showcasing the ever-changing geological landscape of the world’s largest estuarine alluvial island and the ecological civilization of harmony between humans and nature.

Through ecological bird attraction, diverse plant configurations, and water purification projects, the wetland has been restored on the foundation of the original site to create a multifunctional wetland ecological demonstration area integrating science education, scientific research, leisure, and sightseeing.

Unlike the Dongtan Wetland, the recurring tidal phenomenon is a vital condition for the survival of Xisha Wetland. The average time between one tide rising and falling is 12 hours and 24 minutes. Due to the tides, the area has formed a rich variety of landforms, with crisscrossing waterways in the wetland including lakes, mudflats, inner rivers, reed beds, and marshes. Additionally, the ebb and flow of the tides have also fostered diverse wildlife in the wetland, such as migratory birds and sand crabs that come with the tides.

In addition, to allow visitors to get closer to nature, the wetland management has built a 2-kilometer-long wooden boardwalk where visitors can stroll through the reeds and forests. For watching the sunrise in Chongming, go to Dongtan Wetland; the best spot to watch the sunset is Xisha Wetland.

Xisha Wetland boasts abundant flora and fauna resources. There are 46 species of seed plants in the wetland, with dominant species including reeds, wild water bamboo, Arthraxon hispidus, Kalimeris indica, Carex scabrifolia, as well as artificially planted willows and dawn redwoods. The ponds are mainly home to submerged plants such as Myriophyllum verticillatum and Potamogeton maackianus, while the edges feature emergent plants like reeds and narrowleaf cattail.

The tidal flats and plant resources of Xisha Wetland attract a large number of birds, making it an important wintering habitat for many migratory species. Currently, 26 bird species have been recorded, including 14 species active in shrubbery and 11 species in wetland environments, with the most common being the great egret, mallard, and Eurasian tree sparrow.

The dominant benthic animals in the wetland’s high tidal zone are mainly the swimming crab (Sesarma dehaani) and the red-clawed crab (Sesarma haematocheir), while the ponds mainly host the pond snail (Bellamya purificata), the Chinese mystery snail (Cipangopaludina chinensis), and the rice-paddy snail (Cipangopaludina cathayensis). The mid-tidal zone is dominated by the mudflat crab (Ilyoplax deschampsi) and the Brotia hainanensis, while the low-tidal zone is dominated by the freshwater clam (Corbicula fluminea), with occasional sightings of the nemertean worm (Nemertea).

Address: No. 588 Baohu Road, Chongming District, Shanghai

Type: Nature Reserve / Island/Peninsula / Wetland

Rating: AAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 2 hours

Phone: 021-39633635

Opening Hours:

8:30–16:00 (Closed on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 16th, 17th, and 18th of the first lunar month; the park is also closed during spring tides)

Ticket Information:

Free admission.

Transportation

Located at the western end of Chongming Island, it can be reached by private car or public transport

1. By car: Shanghai Outer Ring Road (or Middle Ring Road via Xiangyin Road Tunnel) – Pudong Wuzhou Avenue – Shanghai Yangtze River Tunnel and Bridge – Chongming Chenhai Highway – Sanhua Highway to the scenic area

2. By public transport: Take the Xisha Wetland Tourist Shuttle from Nanmen Bus Station, or take the Nan’niu Line or Nanjian Special Line to Luhua Town Station, then transfer to the Luhua Line to Xisha Wetland Station

Luhua Town: [Overview] Luhua Town is located at the southwestern tip of Chongming Island. It was reclaimed from the Yangtze River estuary in the early 1970s. The town covers an administrative area of 3,745 hectares, with arable land spanning 1,858 hectares. The total population is 9,267, comprising 7 administrative villages, 176 villager groups, and 3,703 households. Luhua has a total of 28,000 mu of citrus-dominated orchards, with a forest coverage rate of 65%. The town has a well-developed water system with crisscrossing rivers, including three county-level main rivers totaling 13 kilometers in length, 23 town-level cross rivers spanning 51 kilometers, and 514 drainage ditches totaling 260 kilometers... More detailed information about Luhua Town++