Huangzhuangwa Natural Scenic Area in Baodi

Huangzhuangwa Natural Scenic Area in Baodi

Huangzhuangwa in Baodi District, Tianjin, along with Erwangzhuangwa, Dazhongzhuangwa, and Liziguwu, is known as one of the “Four Major Depressions” of Baodi, and is the largest of these depressions in the district. It is located in the southeastern part of Baodi District, east of the Chaobai New River and west of the Jiyun Canal, covering a total area of approximately 309 square kilometers. With an elevation of just 0.3 to 1 meter and a groundwater level of 1.3 meters, Huangzhuangwa is the lowest-altitude depression in the entire Baodi District. According to the ancient text *Commentary on the Water Classic*, this area was once part of the ancient Yongnu Marsh. It got its name because it contains Huangzhuang (a village), although the actual center of the depression lies in Huijiazhuang.

Before liberation, the flood channels that ran through the area often experienced severe flooding, resulting in perennial waterlogging, with water depth exceeding one meter in many places. Most plots of land were submerged, making crop cultivation impossible, and the lives of local farmers were extremely difficult. Some were forced to leave their homes to escape famine and floods. A local folk rhyme from those times went: “Huangzhuangwa, flooded deep; men shave heads, women beg for food.” This shows just how desolate Huangzhuangwa was in the old society.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Party and government placed great emphasis on controlling water disasters, and Baodi, which had suffered floods nine years out of ten, became one of the key regions for water conservancy projects. Given that the old Chaobai River was one of the main sources of flooding in Baodi (especially in Huangzhuangwa), in 1950 the government invested in digging the Chaobai New River to dredge the downstream waterways of the Chaobai River. In 1960, the construction of the Miyun Reservoir was completed, which completely put an end to the flooding of the Chaobai River. Since then, Huangzhuangwa has been able to cultivate crops over a much larger area, and farmers have enjoyed harvests. However, before the 1980s, due to relatively backward irrigation and drainage facilities, farming methods in the Huangzhuangwa area were conservative, grain yields were low, and there were many uncultivated or low-yield fields, all of which affected agricultural output.

Since 1984, Baodi District has adapted to local conditions to transform Huangzhuangwa, vigorously implementing the “Convert Wasteland to Rice Paddies” project, breaking the traditional planting patterns that had lasted for years. Starting with introducing and experimenting with rice cultivation, and gradually expanding the area under rice, after 1989, rice farming became regionalized, and rice became the dominant crop, accounting for more than 80% of the planted area. Supporting water conservancy infrastructure also continued to increase and improve, giving rise to a landscape in Huangzhuangwa of expansive, orderly rice paddies intersected by a network of crisscrossing channels. In recent years, the rice planting area has reached over 100,000 mu annually. Every early spring, when the paddies are flooded in preparation for planting, Huangzhuangwa turns into an “artificial wetland,” resembling a water town in the north.

Today, pollution-free rice production has become the mainstream in Huangzhuangwa, with high-quality rice varieties covering over 95% of the area, yielding premium-quality rice. It has become one of the major commodity grain production bases in the suburbs of Tianjin, and Huangzhuangwa has truly earned the title of a “granary.” Moreover, its beautiful, harmonious pastoral scenery and wetland landscape have attracted numerous migratory birds, turning the area into a renowned bird paradise in Tianjin. Every year, tens of thousands of birds pass through or inhabit the region, including many that are classified as first- and second-class protected species in China.

Best visiting season: April to October every year

Opening hours: Open all year round