Cuihu Wetland Park

　　Beijing’s Cuihu Wetland Park is situated in Shangzhuang Town, Haidian District. It lies to the west of Daoxianghu Park and to the east of Shangzhuang Reservoir, with municipal green corridors extending to the north and south. The park covers a planned area of 700 hectares. The Cuihu Wetland Eco-Park was jointly invested in by Qinglv Group Corporation, Jinxiu Dadi Company, the Beijing Water Authority, and Haidian District. It is an area known for its beautiful natural environment and lush vegetation.

　　Currently, the first phase of the Cuihu Wetland project has been completed. By excavating a 200-meter ecological waterway around the lake, a 1,500-mu low-lying area north of Shangzhuang Reservoir has been transformed into an ecological garden featuring wetland characteristics. It includes the introduction of wetland flora and fauna, as well as the development of nine major functional zones: lotus ponds, reed marshes, wild wetland plant exhibition areas, waterfowl pools, wetland eco-agriculture, science education zones, ornamental fish ponds, fishing areas, and a water park, covering a total area of 1 million square meters. The Cuihu Wetland Eco-Park makes use of the natural landscape and structure of the wetland to define and enhance functional areas, creating a park that integrates leisure, entertainment, sightseeing, learning, and research. It offers a harmonious blend of people, architecture, and water scenery, where nature and beauty, vacationing, and academic research coexist seamlessly. At present, the first phase of Cuihu Wetland has been completed, with 1,000 mu developed, including 600 mu of water surface. Through the excavation of the ecological waterway, a 1,500-mu low-lying area north of Shangzhuang Reservoir has been enclosed to form an ecologically characteristic wetland garden. Over 400 species of wetland plants and animals have been introduced, establishing a wetland landscape. The park features lotus ponds, reed marshes, wild wetland plant exhibition areas, waterfowl protection zones, wetland eco-agricultural parks, and surrounding ecological water zones.

　　Historically, Beijing had numerous rivers and a dense water system, boasting a very good wetland network, with wetlands accounting for no less than 15% of the city’s total land area. However, today that figure has dwindled to just 3%. Beijing’s urban planning included an investment of 336 million yuan by 2010 to construct 12 wetlands totaling 120,000 hectares, and Cuihu Wetland is one of them. In 1999, Cuihu Seed Industry Co., Ltd. partnered with the Shangzhuang Township government and village committees to lease over 1,000 mu of land, digging a lake to grow lotuses in an attempt to develop sightseeing agriculture. However, poor management prevented its growth. In July 2003, Jinxiu Dadi Agricultural Co., Ltd. took over and initiated Cuihu’s “Ten-Thousand-Mu Wetland Restoration Project,” aiming to spend ten years developing a “wellness industry” and achieving the goal of “West Lake in the south, Cuihu in the north.” In May 2005, the Ministry of Construction officially designated Beijing’s Haidian District Cuihu Wetland Park as a national urban wetland park. According to Jinxiu Dadi’s vision, with Cuihu Wetland in place, not only would a “high-tech, high-culture, high-nature” ecological agriculture be developed, but also Haidian’s northern new district would gain a flagship for its cultural and creative industries and leisure tourism. This idea received support from the Haidian District government, which pledged 2 billion yuan in funding and enlisted Hairongda Company to assist in the wetland land acquisition process. Promotional materials state that the overall planned area of the wetland park is 10,000 mu (including 6,000 mu of wetland and 4,000 mu of land), with the first phase covering 1,500 mu and nearly 800 mu of water surface. Currently, the park hosts over 40 species of waterfowl, totaling more than 6,000 individuals, including over 2,000 wild waterfowl. The park adheres to the principles of “prioritizing protection, ecological precedence, rational utilization, and sound development,” striving to achieve “sustainable urban development and harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.”

　　Transportation

　　Address: Shangzhuang Town, Haidian District, Beijing

　　Transportation: Take bus routes 303 or 512 to Shangzhuang Township Station, then transfer to a minibus to reach Cuihu Wetland Park