By Yao Xueqing, People’s Daily
Yancheng city, east China’s Jiangsu province, boasts the world’s largest intertidal wetland system and China’s first World Natural Heritage site of coastal wetlands. As an important stopover site for migratory birds on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, this ecological wonderland shelters millions of birds annually as they rest, molt, and overwinter.
In recent years, the city has developed a multifaceted ecotourism model and fostered new consumption scenarios around these winged visitors. Tourists can witness spectacular bird congregations across tidal wetlands, explore museums and creative product shops, and purchase cultural souvenirs like the popular cultural icon “Salt Spoon,” a cartoon character based on the critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper.
Birdwatching has become the city’s new approach to developing ecotourism, providing tourists and citizens a deeper and more engaging way to appreciate the natural beauty.
“When migratory birds pick their habitats, they primarily focus on abundant food sources and a sound natural environment,” said tour guide Shen Dandan at the research center of the Tiaozini wetland in Dongtai of Yancheng city, where a highlight of every August is the arrival of millions of migratory birds.
She explained the reasons behind bird migration and habitat selection to tourists, showcasing videos and images to introduce bird species often seen in wetlands during winter. Equipped with newfound bird knowledge, the tourists then made their way to an observation deck to kick off their birdwatching adventure.
“The tide is rising! Now it’s the prime time for birdwatching,” exclaimed Shen.
Shen explained that as the tide went out, migratory birds would hunt for food on the beach; but when the seawater submerged their feeding grounds, they would retreat with the seawater to a “shelter region” within the dyke for a break, creating an ideal opportunity for birdwatchers to spot them from the observation decks.
The “shelter region” used to be the nearest fish pond to the feeding grounds, covering a total area of 720 mu (48 hectares). After micro-topographic transformation, wetland restoration and environmental improvement, the pond was transformed into the current fixed habitat at high tide level, serving as a sanctuary for migratory birds when the tide rises.
Within the habitat, there are four observation decks equipped with 16 high-powered telescopes that reveal intimate details of migratory birds leisurely strolling around, such as geese, ducks, black-faced spoonbills, and Eurasian spoonbills, within a 500-meter range.
After traveling 12 kilometers to the south, the tourists reached a large lake nestled deep within the Tiaozini wetland, which serves as the habitat for big wading birds like red-crowned cranes and flamingos. Dozens of photography enthusiasts stood by, ready to capture pictures.
“It’s truly worth the wait. I recorded a flamingo feeding its chick,” said Qi Xiaoyun, president of the Yancheng Municipal Photographers Association.
Qi said that the photography events organized by the association always attract a full crowd of photography enthusiasts – in spring, they rush to capture spoon-billed sandpipers; in summer, black-headed gulls enter their breeding season; when the autumn comes, the saltwort turns red everywhere; and this winter, more and more flamingos are being photographed.
Chang Wei, deputy director of the management committee of the Coastal Economic Zone of Dongtai, explained how the wetland offers different scenery throughout the year. With birdwatching as a major project, the Tiaozini wetland scenic area offers a variety of ecotourism products designed for different seasons, such as birding festivals, photography camps, and ecological camping, drawing nearly a million visits each year.
Cultural and creative industry
Museums have also become an essential part of local birdwatching tourism. For instance, the Yellow Sea Wetland Museum presents the changing landscapes of migratory bird habitats and has become an interactive and immersive encyclopedia of wetland ecology.
The museum, receiving around 260,000 visitors annually, has developed various activities like “World Heritage Education” and “Wetlands and Science Workshops.” It hosts 140 World Heritage Education events each year.
At the store of the museum, cultural and creative products such as T-shirts, cups, notebooks, fridge magnets, and plush toys featuring images of “Salt Spoon” are very popular among tourists. The design team is also creating characters based on the red-crowned crane and milu (commonly known as Pere David’s deer), which are collectively dubbed the “three wetland treasures” in Yancheng, together with spoon-billed sandpiper, prototype of “Salt Spoon.”
“Birdwatching tourism has ignited a wave of cultural creativity, which has in turn boosted consumer spending,” said Jin Longfei, an official from Yancheng Municipal People’s Government.
According to Jin, the sales of cultural and creative products inspired by westland ecotourism in the city have exceeded 30 million yuan ($4.12 million), generating an economic output of tens of millions yuan.
Red-crowned cranes forage in the Jiangsu Yancheng Wetlands and Rare Birds National Natural Reserve, Dec. 13, 2024. (Photo by Zhang Jian/People’s Daily Online)
Tourists watch specimens of birds at the Yellow Sea Wetland Museum in Yancheng, east China’s Jiangsu province, Jul. 21, 2024. (Photo by Dongfang Xu/People’s Daily Online)
