Qianshan Qianshui River National Wetland Park

Qianshan Qianshui River National Wetland Park

Qianshan Qianshui River National Wetland Park is a national-level wetland park.

Anhui Qianshan Qianshui River National Wetland Park is located in Qianshan County, Anqing City, Anhui Province. The Qianshui River is a secondary tributary of the Yangtze River, boasting excellent water quality and serving as the county’s drinking water source. It meets the Surface Water Environmental Quality Class II standards, with an average annual runoff of 1.132 billion cubic meters, accounting for 27% of the runoff of the Wan River, a primary tributary of the Yangtze.

The park centers around the main course of the Qianshui River, stretching from Matan Village in Shuhou Town in the west to the county boundary between Qianshan County and Huaining County in the southeast. It covers a total area of 1,450.06 hectares, including 1,044.14 hectares of wetland, which accounts for 72.01% of the total area. The park forms an effective conservation system together with Tianzhu Mountain National Forest Park, Anhui Yangtze River Wetlands Provincial Nature Reserve, and the Municipal Yangtze Finless Porpoise Reserve, playing a crucial role in the ecological and water security of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

The Qianshui River is the mother river of Qianshan County and historically gave birth to the brilliant Xuejiagang civilization. The park features two types of habitats—mountainous rivers and plain rivers—along with developed features such as riverbanks, river islands, and deep pools. The varying intensity of water flow and the dense riverside forests create diverse microhabitats that nurture abundant wildlife resources. Within the wetland park, there are 609 species of wetland vascular plants belonging to 383 genera and 136 families, among which wild soybean is a Class II nationally protected wild plant. The park is also home to 205 species of vertebrates across 72 families and 33 orders, including 42 fish species (6 orders, 12 families), 8 amphibian species (2 orders, 5 families), 14 reptile species (3 orders, 7 families), 118 bird species (16 orders, 36 families), and 22 mammal species (6 orders, 12 families). Within the park’s planned area, there are 14 species of Class II nationally protected wildlife, such as the brown-winged cuckoo, black kite, common kestrel, and Eurasian sparrowhawk.

The wetland park boasts beautiful natural scenery and profound historical heritage. It benefits from convenient transportation, being only 57 kilometers from Anqing Airport and adjacent to Qianshan County town, offering superior accessibility and great potential for eco-tourism and science education.

Anhui Qianshan Qianshui River National Wetland Park will be developed into a model for river water conservation and soil retention in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, a benchmark for ecological poverty alleviation in Qianshan County, and a regional hub for science education. This will significantly promote the harmonious development between humans and nature in Qianshan County.