Where city meets wetland: Dongying's vision for coexistence

The Yellow River Delta, formed by vast amounts of sand and silt carried by the river, gave rise to Dongying, a city in East China's Shandong province.

Situated at the river's mouth where it meets the Bohai Sea, Dongying has over 4,567 square kilometers of wetlands, covering 41.6 percent of its area. The city is recognized as one of the world's first International Wetland Cities, and the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve is also a UNESCO World Heritage site as part of the "Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II)".

The reserve is a key stopover on the East Asian–Australasian and Pacific Flyways and hosts 1,633 animal species and 685 plant species. More than 200 migratory bird species visit annually for breeding, wintering, or rest, including 34 globally threatened species. The best birdwatching season runs from October to April, when tens of thousands of birds fill the sky above the estuary, forming shapes that resemble a giant whale or drifting clouds.

This year's Yellow River Estuary International Birdwatching Season began on Nov 15. Shahbaz Khan, director of UNESCO's Regional Office for East Asia, praised the reserve as not only an ecological treasure for China but also an example of international cooperation in protecting nature.

But this remarkable revival stands in sharp contrast to the reserve's earlier condition.

"The reserve was once saline-alkaline land, with sparse wild grasses and sand filling the air," recalled Zhang Xitao, a senior engineer at the reserve.

Over the years, Dongying has been committed to wetland protection and restoration. In the past three years alone, the city has replenished over 520 million cubic meters of water, removed 8,800 hectares of invasive Spartina alterniflora, restored 3,500 hectares of native plants, and expanded wetlands by 5,000 hectares. Vegetation coverage now reaches 55.1 percent, making it China's largest newly established coastal wetland zone.

Even within the city, wildlife thrives. A crested ibis, a nationally protected species, has made Mingtan Park its home since October 2024. Although Dongying is a major crude oil production center, the city shows that urban development can coexist with nature.

Here, modern buildings and flocks of birds share the skyline — a new vision of a city that becomes part of nature itself.