Xiaohaiyan Scenic Holiday Resort

Xiaohaiyan Scenic Holiday Resort

Xiaohaiyan Scenic Holiday Resort is located in the northwest of Aohan Banner, with geographical coordinates between 119°29′–119°47′ east longitude and 42°21′–42°41′ north latitude, covering a total area of 1,800 hectares. The resort gets its name from the Xiaohaiyan Wetland Bird Nature Reserve. The Xiaohaiyan Wetland Bird Nature Reserve features six types of wetland landscape: river-type grass marsh wetland landscape; river-type paddy field and tall grass mixed landscape; river and lake landscape; river-type tall grass wetland landscape; river-type sparse forest and shrub wetland landscape; and irrigated field wetland landscape.

This reserve is situated in a wetland within a grassland area, and in terms of vegetation, it belongs to the Loess Plateau Province of the Central Asia Subregion of the Eurasian Grassland Region. The zonal vegetation is grassland, representing a transitional zone from warm temperate grassland to mesic grassland. There are six vegetation types, 12 subtypes, and 65 formations, with 263 plant species from 169 genera and 56 families.

The reserve plays an important role in protecting wetland resources and the rich birdlife, especially rare and endangered bird species such as the whooper swan, bean goose, herons, eagles, and falcons. It provides a habitat for two nationally first-class protected bird species and 20 nationally second-class protected bird species.

In December 2000, the reserve was approved as an autonomous region-level nature reserve.