Yutian Keriya River National Wetland Park

Yutian Keriya River National Wetland Park

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

Xinjiang Yutian Keriya River National Wetland Park is located in Yutian County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, covering a total area of 135,553.89 hectares.

The Keriya River, which means “shifting” or “unstable” in the Uyghur language, originates from ancient glaciers deep in the Kunlun Mountains. Its waters are mainly formed from the melting snow of the Kunlun Range and the river is often named for its frequent course changes due to seasonal flooding. The Keriya River runs through Yutian County, and the ecosystem along the river thrives because of it. Both banks are covered with large areas of desert vegetation such as populus euphratica, tamarisk, and reeds, forming a green corridor that is ten kilometers wide from east to west and over three hundred kilometers long from north to south. At the downstream end of the river lies the Daliyabuyi Oasis.

The Keriya River, which originates from the Keriya Mountain of the Kunlun Mountain Range, flows northward through Yutian County and into the Taklamakan Desert for over 200 kilometers. This river not only nurtures an oasis deep in the desert and the isolated Keriya people who live there, but also gives birth to the unique Keriya culture.