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Red-crowned cranes fly over the reed swamp of Zhalong Nature Preserve, known as "the land ofcranes".[Photo provided to China Daily] |
Heilongjiang's marshes offer places to explore nature while beating the heat. Yang Feiyuereports.
Chen Yan enjoyed seeing wild birds as he boated over Heilongjiang province's Khanka Lake.
He also enjoyed seeing - and eating - the fish in its waters.
That's not to mention wearing long sleeves in the summer, as his native Beijing baked in lateJune.
It was breezy and dropped to 13 C in mornings, he says.
"I took the trip to escape the heat. I felt bad for my friends back home," he says, jokingly.
But he discovered more than cool climates at such places as the island of Zhenbaodao'swetlands in the center of the Wusuli River that runs between China and Russia.
There are also pristine natural areas inhabited by wildlife.
Chen boated Jingpo Lake and visited a nearby lava cave.He watched performers jump from the Diaoshuilou Waterfall.
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[Photo provided to China Daily] |
The area around the cascade is a honeycomb of misty caves that contain ice year-round.
The province is developing travel routes to enhance its wetland tourism, especially for summervacationers.
It also plans to integrate history, ethnic culture and foodstuffs into marshland excursions. It hopesto develop packages with such themes as sports, leisure and health.
It recently created products for students and children to interact with wildlife during their summerbreaks. And it has introduced helicopter rides over the wetlands, says the Heilongjiang tourismdevelopment authority's deputy director, Hou Wei.
China's northernmost province is saturated by its vastest wetland clusters, covering 55,000square kilometers. They account for an eighth of the country's total and equal the size of Hainanprovince.
Heilongjiang hosts 138 wetland reserves. And 72 wetland parks are open to the public acrossthe province, Heilongjiang's forestry head Yang Guoting says.
Two of the five summer routes that provincial tourism authorities announced in May focus onwetlands.
Wudalianchi offers marshes, hot springs and volcanoes. It takes its name from five linked lakesconjured by ancient volcanic violence. Zhalong Nature Preserve hosts Asia's biggest reedswamp, known as "the land of cranes".Daqing hosts hot springs.
Qiqihar is celebrated for barbecue. Russian culture can be experienced at the Heihe-Blagoveshchensk border.
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The preserve of Naoli River's wetlands is among the top 10 wetlands in Heilongjiang province.[Photoprovided to China Daily] |