3 Wetland Parks You Must Visit This Summer

Three Wetland Parks You Must Visit This Summer

Irene Li, Associate Editor | Jul 13, 2022 5:24 pm | Add a comment | 380 reads

Nothing beats escaping from the city on a hot summer's day than a visit to one of Beijing’s finest creations: the National Wetlands. You can enjoy nature, observe birds, and spend some quality time with friends or family.

According to statistics, the total area of Beijing's wetlands is about 500 square kilometers. Among them, natural welands, which mainly consist of rivers and a few natural lakes, make up around about 150 square kilometers.

However, since the second half of the 20th century, wetlands have been shrinking around the world, and Beijing is no exception. By the beginning of this century, the area of Beijing's wetlands accounted for only 3 percent of the city's area, 12 percent less than in the early years of the founding of new China. So, in recent years, the city has implemented large-scale wetland protection activities to restore these wet lands, and as a result, a number of these once shrinking ponds have reappeared once again.

1. Nanhaizi Park 南海子公园

Located less than 20 kilometers away from the city center, this place was once the hunting ground of the Qing Emperors. After it was refurbished in 2010, when the park was opened to the public.

This is the largest wetland park in the southern suburbs. In summer, not only will visitors be able to enjoy lush trees, they’ll also witness the full bloom of beautiful lotuses on the pond. At the center of the park lies Miluyuan 麋鹿苑 Mílù yuàn, where visitors will be able to get a glimpse of adult elks casually roaming around the water from far away, making it a picturesque scene in summer.

Nanhaizi Park 南海子公园
No. 16, Huangyi Road, Daxing district
大兴区瀛海镇黄亦路16号

Phone:69271456

2. Yeyahu National Wetland Park 野鸭湖湿地公园

Located in Yanqing district, the Yeyahu National Wetland Park is the largest wetland area in Beijing. According to statistics, there are 280 species of birds in the park including the Oriental white stork, white-headed crane, and golden eagle.

You can take it all in.by cycling around the lake or simply hiking about. Depending on how fast you pedal, it might take you anywhere between an hour and a half to two hours to cycle the entire lake. If you’re in luck, you might even see some rare birds along the way.

Yeyahu National Wetland Park 野鸭湖湿地公园
500 meters to West of Liuhaoyingcun, Yanqing district
延庆区康庄镇刘浩营村

Phone: 69131458

3.Dongjiao Wetland Park 东郊森林公园湿地公园

Spanning across three districts including Tongzhou, Shunyi, and Chaoyang, Dongjiao Forest Park draws folks out from the city to view large fields of blooming sunflowers, to hang out at the artificial beach, and to bike or go fishing.

The park covers a total area of about 40 square kilometers, that's six times the size of Beijing's Grand Canal Forest Park! The park also features an extremely long green cycling path, making it an ideal spot for people to get some exercise while enjoying the fresh, clean air.