Huanghua Island Wetland Park

　　Half city of landscapes, full city of orange fragrance; a reservoir of emerald waters, with green waves rippling. The beautiful China Citrus City—Zhongxian, is located in the northeast of Chongqing, bordering Wanzhou to the east, Shizhu to the south, Fengdu and Dianjiang to the west, and Liangping to the north. After the Three Gorges Reservoir was filled to 175 meters, two-thirds of the old county town were submerged. Through relocation and reconstruction, Zhongxian now showcases the charm of “a city on both banks, ribbon-like clusters, landscape gardens, and bridge-island features.”

　　After the filling of the Three Gorges Reservoir, the Yangtze River banks in Zhongxian became winding, with numerous shoals, terraces, and tributaries, forming a 29.71-square-kilometer drawdown zone wetland. Among them, Huanghua Island, Ganjing River, and Dongxi River feature large areas of wetlands in diverse forms. These wetlands have become a valuable resource for Zhongxian’s eco-tourism development. As an important ecological barrier in the reservoir area, higher requirements have been placed on the protection of the ecological environment of the drawdown zone wetlands in Zhongxian. Based on the current status and advantages of the drawdown zone wetlands, developing wetland eco-tourism under full protection is the best choice for the sustainable economic and social development of Zhongxian. The Zhongxian County Party Committee and County Government attach great importance to wetland protection and, with a keen sense of timing, proposed the idea of building the Huanghua Island National Wetland Park in Zhongxian.

　　The Huanghua Island Wetland Park covers a total area of approximately 14 square kilometers, including three parts: Huanghua Island, Ganjing River, and Dongxi River. The water area is 1.86 square kilometers, and the wetland area is 6.37 square kilometers. The types of wetlands include mountain streamhead wetlands, perennial river wetlands, intermittent river wetlands, riverbank wetlands, drawdown zone artificial wetlands, pond and reservoir artificial wetlands, artificial reservoirs, aquatic plant cultivation fields, and aquatic animal farming ponds. The drawdown zone wetlands are rich in type, including broad-valley drawdown zones, canyon drawdown zones, island drawdown zones, reservoir bay drawdown zones, lake basin drawdown zones, soil-type reservoir bank drawdown zones, and bedrock-type reservoir bank drawdown zones.

　　The Huanghua Island Wetland Park is located in a typical subtropical humid monsoon climate zone, with abundant wetland biological resources. It is home to 932 species of higher plants, including seven species listed in the National Key Protected Wild Plants List: cycads, ginkgo, metasequoia, wild buckwheat, lotus, camptotheca, and camphor tree. There are also 94 species of wetland and aquatic plants.

　　The wetland park boasts abundant animal resources. Surveys show that there are 329 species of vertebrates, including 24 species of mammals, 124 species of birds, 19 species of reptiles, 9 species of amphibians, and 153 species of fish. There are 14 species of nationally protected animals, such as the Chinese sturgeon, Dabry’s sturgeon, Chinese high-fin banded shark, peregrine falcon, and Lady Amherst’s pheasant. After the filling of the Three Gorges Reservoir, the increased water surface of the Dongxi River and Ganjing River has made them a paradise for wintering birds.

　　The Huanghua Island Wetland Park includes five functional zones: the Huanghua Island Island Wetland Resort Zone, the Dongxi River Wetland Leisure and Ecological Exhibition Zone, the Ganjing River Water Sports Experience Zone, the Drawdown Zone Wetland Ecological Conservation Zone, and the Ecological Buffer Control Zone.