Lai’an Chishan Lake Provincial Wetland Park

Lai’an Chishan Lake Provincial Wetland Park

Chishan Lake Wetland Park is located in the eastern part of Lai’an County, Chuzhou City, adjacent to Luhe District of Nanjing City, covering a total area of 143.2 hectares.

The wetland park has abundant and diverse wetland resources, which are mainly divided into three major categories and seven types, with a wetland coverage rate of 68.19%.

The thousand-acre Chishan forest in the park’s core area is a rare aquatic forest resource in China, featuring water within the forest, forest within the water, birds in the trees, and fish in the water, creating an ecological landscape similar to that of the Amazon River.

The park is rich in aquatic plants and animals, offering high scientific research value and educational potential. There are dozens of species of waterfowl, numbering up to tens of thousands. Among them are populations of great egrets, intermediate egrets, little egrets, night herons, grey herons, cattle egrets, owls, loons, pheasants, wild ducks, coots, doves, mynas, hoopoes, water rails, and more. The water hosts various freshwater fish, shrimp, crabs, turtles, and soft-shelled turtles. Recently introduced protected species include white swans, black swans, whooper swans, greylag geese, bar-headed geese, ruddy shelducks, common shelducks, mallards, red-crowned cranes, hooded cranes, demoiselle cranes, mandarin ducks, Chinese alligators, porcupines, and other nationally and provincially protected wildlife. Aquatic plants include various lotuses, duckweed, gorgon fruits (water chestnuts), water caltrops, water smartweed, four-leaf clover, water bamboo, reeds, silver grass, bulrushes, and more. Of these, two are Class II nationally protected plants, twelve are Class II nationally protected animals, and nine are key protected animal species in Anhui Province.

The wetland park centers on the protection of the wetland ecosystem. Approved by the Anhui provincial authorities, it has been planned and constructed according to the standards of a provincial wetland park, and is divided into five zones: wetland conservation area, restoration and reconstruction area, education and exhibition area, rational utilization area, and management service area. The construction is planned to be completed in three years. Once finished, Chishan Lake Wetland Park will integrate wetland ecological education, sightseeing, leisure experiences, and sustainable use demonstration, becoming a highlight of the northern Jiangsu landscape, a classroom for science education, and a pearl of eco-tourism.