Wulungu River National Wetland Park in Qinghe County

Wulungu River National Wetland Park in Qinghe County

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

Wulungu River National Wetland Park in Qinghe County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is located in Qinghe County and covers a total area of 13,590.3 hectares.

In recent years, due to overgrazing and irrational use, the wetlands have severely shrunk and suffered ecological degradation. The disappearance and degradation of these wetlands have led to a continuous decline in their ecological barrier function, resulting in problems such as the disappearance of oases, the degradation of grassland and grassland ecosystems, and a reduction in biodiversity. These issues have drawn high attention from the Qinghe County government.

Geographic Location

Wulungu River Wetland Park is located in Qinghe County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and mainly consists of riverine wetlands and marsh wetlands. The Wulungu River wetland lies in an arid region and forms part of the oasis complex ecosystem typical of arid zones. The Wulungu River basin is the only habitat in China for the nationally first-class protected wild animal — the Siberian beaver (Montane beaver), and the wetland park contains the largest population of this species.

Natural Resources

The park is also home to several key protected waterfowl species in China, including the black stork, demoiselle crane, and whooper swan, as well as various migratory birds of the Falconiformes order. It is an important part of the western China migratory bird corridor. As an oasis within Xinjiang’s generally arid environment, it holds significant conservation value.

To protect the Wulungu River wetlands, conserve the Siberian beaver population and its habitat, and meet the needs of biodiversity protection and regional socioeconomic sustainable development, establishing a national wetland park is a scientific and effective approach. Through the construction of a national-level wetland park, standardized systems for wetland conservation, education, scientific research, and monitoring will be established. This will enhance wetland conservation management capabilities, protect and improve the habitats of the Siberian beaver and other animal populations, gradually restore wetland biodiversity, significantly improve the ecological functions of the wetland, ensure the ecological security of the Wulungu River, and promote ecological development in Qinghe County.