Sichuan Bolin Lake National Wetland Park

Sichuan Bolin Lake National Wetland Park

Sichuan Bolin Lake National Wetland Park is a national-level wetland park.

Bolin Lake National Wetland Park is located in Bolin’gou Town, Zhaohua District, Guangyuan City, Sichuan Province. It mainly includes Bolin Lake and its surrounding wetland areas, with wetland types primarily consisting of reservoirs and rivers.

Bolin Lake Wetland covers a total area of 290 hectares, with a water surface area of 140 hectares, a catchment area of 320 square kilometers, and a total river length of 60 kilometers. The wetland features beautiful mountains and clear waters, a tranquil environment, and enchanting scenery. It has been praised by Ji Fu Zheng, a renowned expert in Chinese vernacular and folk architecture, as a “mini Jiuzhaigou” nestled in the valley. It has successfully been designated as a national wetland park. It is reported that the ancient town of Bolin, where the Bolin Lake National Wetland Park is situated, was established as Jiameng Sub-district during the late Eastern Han Dynasty (128 AD) and boasts a history of over 1,800 years. The area is rich in historical and cultural heritage, with numerous cultural relics and historic sites. Its natural scenery is fresh and picturesque, and the ancient Qin-Han streets are hailed as the “specimen” of traditional northern Sichuan residential architecture. The town is currently applying for recognition as a provincial-level historical and cultural town.

The proposed national wetland park is located within Zhaohua District, Guangyuan City, and mainly includes Bolin Lake and its surrounding wetland areas. The boundary of the wetland park starts from Shiban River in the northeast and extends southwest, then follows the gully to Siping, heads south along Fengjia River, turns northwest to Zhangjia River and then to Guanyinyan, continues south to Sanfangli, moves northwest along Bolin Lake to Wangjiawan, stretches southeast to Jiangjiawan, follows Bolin Lake southeast to Matitan Dam, proceeds northwest to Hejiazui, and finally extends northeast along Fengjia River back to Shiban River. The planned area is 1,597.5 hectares.

The wetlands within the park mainly consist of artificial wetland storage areas (132.09 hectares), ponds (1.31 hectares), irrigated land wetlands (5.16 hectares), natural wetlands such as permanent river wetlands (8.12 hectares), and floodplain wetlands (88.67 hectares), accounting for 14.73% of the total park area, showcasing a relatively rich variety of wetland types.

The forests within the park all serve as wetland catchment areas. Year-round flowing streams in the valleys ensure an abundant water supply for the wetlands. The wetland ecosystem changes with seasonal water level fluctuations and engages in frequent material and energy exchanges with the surrounding ecosystems, achieving overall ecological balance. The wetland biodiversity resources in the park are extremely rich. Nearly 20 tree species are distributed around Bolin Lake Wetland, including Masson pine, Chinese fir, and alder. There are also provincially protected native precious trees such as eucommia and ginkgo. The area is home to 42 species of wildlife, comprising 8 species of waterfowl, 3 amphibians, 5 reptiles, 19 birds, and 7 mammals. In particular, waterbirds such as egrets, as the most representative group of wetland wildlife, are highly sensitive indicators of changes in the wetland environment.

The park houses numerous cultural attractions such as ancient temples, stone-carved tombs, Kuixing pavilions, and meditation caves, as well as naturally formed landscapes including Bolin Lake, Wulan Erjin, cliff carvings, and ancient cypresses from the Three Kingdoms period, offering breathtaking scenic spots.