China's Alligator Village

　　China's Alligator Village is situated in the southwestern part of Changxing County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province. It borders Taihu Lake to the east and Tianmu Mountain to the west. The area features numerous wetlands, lush woodlands, and verdant grasslands, along with a mild climate, making it a kingdom for animals and a paradise for plants.

　　The Chinese alligator, also known as the Yangtze alligator or by its scientific name *Alligator sinensis*, is native to the middle and lower reaches of China’s Yangtze River—hence its name derived from the river’s alternate title, the "Yangtze." Having evolved through the Triassic and Jurassic periods, this species has survived from the Mesozoic era to the present day, having lived on Earth for 230 million years. It serves as a living fossil for human research and for unraveling the mysteries of nature, a “book from the heavens” that records the evolution of the Earth and biological development. Like the world-renowned giant panda, it is considered a national treasure, classified as a first-class protected animal in China and one of the world’s seven rare and endangered wild animals. According to surveys, there are fewer than 100 wild Chinese alligators left in the world today.

　　China's Alligator Village is the only scenic area in Zhejiang Province dedicated primarily to the protection, scientific research, and viewing of Chinese alligators. The park is home to over 5,000 alligators, spans a total area of more than 500 acres, and is widely known as the "Hometown of China's Alligators." In 2012, it was rated as a National AAAA-level Tourist Attraction and designated as a "National Science Education Base." In recent years, the park has continuously developed interactive and entertaining activities themed around human-alligator performances, farm experience, mudfish catching, animal observation, and science education. It has truly become a multifunctional destination integrating wetland wilderness experiences, science education, heritage exploration, and leisure tourism.