Returned to Life

By+Francisco+Little

LIGHT struggles to break through the early morning fog that hangs over still water. Its 50 shades of grey. Even breathing disturbs the silence. A small cluster of trees break the waters surface， spindly branches forlorn in their empty surroundings. Its a tranquil setting depicted in thousands of Chinese ink paintings.

These are the wetlands of Chinas Baicheng City in northwest Jilin Province on the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region border， an area that is taking major steps to promote their environmental protection efforts and restore one of the seven major wetland areas in the country.

Massive restoration project

According to Li Dawei， Section Chief of the Baicheng City Government Information Office， restoration dates back to June 2013 when the provincity government launched a massive $830 million water management project to link up rivers， lakes and all the major water conservancy operations in a network of canals. This surplus water flooded into the wetlands， which had dried up after years of drought in the region. The project covers 10 cities and counties.

The latest environmental efforts in Baicheng has seen vast wetlands in the Momoge National Nature Reserve （144，000 hectares） and Xianghai International Nature Reserve （106，700 hectares） restored to their former glory after up to 90 per-cent of the area had shrunk due to years of drought， Li told ChinAfrica. To date Baicheng has channeled 900 million cubic meters of water into these two wetland areas， enough to fill 360，000 Olympic-size swimming pools.

The wetlands play a vital role in the local environment， climate and ecology and have been nicknamed the “kidneys of west Jilin，” said Li.

The debilitating drought left birdlife decimated. Both reserves are important areas for breeding birdlife and returning the large numbers of swans， wild geese， white storks and other waterfowl that live and breed there. Xianghai alone has a total of 286 bird species， said Li. The region is also now busy with wild geese farming. Most notably Baichengs unofficial mascot， the majestic red-crowned crane， has returned to its natural habitat. Wetlands integrity relies heavily on the quantity of birdlife， whose interaction maintains the fragile eco-system. Restoration of the eco-system also provides necessary conditions for migratory birds and biodiversity protection.

Today the pristine Xianghai reserve， characterized by grasslands， wetlands and lakes is a popular site for visitors， who have a chance to get up close and personal with the red-crowned cranes in captivity that makes up part of the breeding program. It is difficult to decide who is more curious of whom， as these tall white cheeky creatures are not shy to boldly interact with visitors.

But Li points out that while the wetlands are a unique tourism resource in Baicheng， attracting both local and international tourists， it is the wetlands perimeter only that allows visitors and the core protected areas are not open to the public. A variety of ongoing wetlands awareness initiatives that encompass students and local communities are getting the public to buy-in to the precious resource on their doorstep， says Li， something he adds is essential to the wetlands future.

Mongol connection

A two-hour drive from Baicheng， on the outskirts of neighboring Qianguo County， lays the largest inland lake in Jilin Province and the seventh largest freshwater lake in China. Chagan Lake forms part of the protected wetlands promotion project and is rich in reed marshes and birdlife.

As a popular venue for visitors， the lake has initiated development of a string of restaurants and entertainment venues along its shores. These attractions reside against a backdrop of the majestic Miaoyin Buddhist Temple which is a hive of pilgrim activity， emitting clouds of fragrant smoke from giant incense sticks.

The buildings around the lake are all built in the unique Mongolian yurt style and its not surprising， as with the close proximity to the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region， the county is home to a small but influential Mongolian population. An official of the Jilin Provincial Government， himself of Mongolian heritage， said he believes that the wetlands form the base of Mongolian culture. He said that along with the wetlands restoration there has been an effort to promote the culture through programs of Mongolian traditional dance troupes and the impressive Mongolian throat-singing folk groups. The official said the environment and this ancient culture are intrinsically linked and protecting one preserves the others.