Xiaogan Laoguanhu National Wetland Park

Xiaogan Laoguanhu National Wetland Park

Xiaogan Laoguanhu National Wetland Park is a national-level wetland park.

Laoguanhu was originally a vast shallow lake. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the construction of dikes and dams over multiple occasions gradually reduced its size, turning it into an inland lake. Following the reform and opening-up period, rapid adjustments in rural industrial structures, coupled with booming development of town and village enterprises and the tertiary sector, led to increased sewage discharge and a gradual deterioration in water quality. To address this ecological issue, starting in 2012, the Yingcheng Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government gradually implemented comprehensive remediation measures including water environment pollution interception projects, sewage treatment, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and lakeshore landscape engineering. The city carried out lake and river connectivity initiatives, channeling 25 million cubic meters of water from the Hanbei River into the lake to accelerate water circulation and improve water quality. It progressively banned and dismantled fishing net enclosures, removing enclosures covering over 1,200 mu of water surface, and prohibited pearl farming and fertilizer-fed aquaculture in the lake area. Biological control measures were also adopted to restore the aquatic ecosystem and enhance the lake’s water environmental quality. Through these combined efforts, the lake’s water quality significantly improved, the ecological environment was restored, and a magnificent landscape emerged — “sandpipers gathering in flocks, colorful fish swimming freely; fragrant grasses and blooming orchids thriving along the shores.”

The planned total area of Laoguanhu Wetland Park is 1,371.75 hectares, encompassing the natural lake surface of Laoguanhu and its surrounding areas. The wetland area covers 1,233.14 hectares, including three types of wetlands: permanent freshwater lakes, herbaceous marshes, and aquaculture farms, with a wetland ratio of 89.89%. Currently, the wetland park is divided into five functional zones: wetland conservation area, restoration and reconstruction area, education and exhibition area, rational use area, and management service area. Once the entire wetland park project is completed, it will deliver significant ecological, economic, and social benefits in flood control, irrigation, biodiversity conservation, and tourism. It is expected to receive up to 1 million visitors annually and drive an increase in value of related industries exceeding 100 million yuan.