Changyuan River National Wetland Park

Changyuan River National Wetland Park

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

Qixian County Changyuan River National Wetland Park is the third national wetland park in Shanxi Province. It is situated in the eastern part of Qixian County, extending from Jialing Bridge in Jialing Town in the north to Dongyugoukou in Laiyuan Town in the south. The river spans a total length of 33 kilometers, covering an overall area of 13,400 mu, of which 6,900 mu are wetlands, making up 51.30% of the park's total area. The park serves as the central axis of Qixian County’s “One Axis, Two Zones” large-county urban planning and development strategy. It is also a flagship project aimed at improving ecology, people’s livelihoods, public image, and establishing an ecological brand. It was listed as one of Qixian County’s ten major ongoing construction projects in 2012.

The total planned investment for the project is 320 million yuan, driving an additional 700 million yuan in surrounding investments. The park is mainly divided into three zones for construction: the Wetland Rational Use Zone, the Restoration and Reconstruction Zone, and the Wetland Conservation Zone. It highlights three main features: thematic design, natural landscape, and ecological integrity, organically integrating functions of ecological protection, eco-tourism, and environmental education. Since last year, priority has been given to the development of the Liujia Village Wetland Use Zone, covering over 800 mu, with a planned investment of 150 million yuan. More than 100 million yuan has been invested so far, achieving greening of 300,000 square meters in the use zone, along with the completion of riverbed anti-seepage and anti-scouring works, as well as micro-terrain island construction. In addition, this year, 150,000 trees have been planted along an 8-kilometer stretch from Jialing Bridge to Dongliuzhi Bridge, aiming to achieve a green-covered landscape effect. In November 2011, it was designated as a National Wetland Park by the State Forestry Administration. Currently, the first phase of the project—including landscaping, rubber dams, park loop roads, boardwalks, and arched bridges—has been largely completed. The landscape lighting project is under intensive construction. In the near future, a park entrance gate will be built at the northern entrance, and guardrails will be installed along the waterside walkway. To achieve an optimal scenic effect, on the basis of refining and connecting all projects, the goal this year is to restore 1,500 mu of water area.

Once completed, Qixian County Changyuan River National Wetland Park will become an ecological jewel along the 108 Comprehensive Development Corridor. It will create a more favorable ecological environment for further enhancing Qixian County’s external image and advancing the county’s transformation and leapfrog development. It will also serve as a model for constructing wetland parks and promoting ecological development in arid and water-scarce regions of northern China.