The city of Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, has made efforts to better protect and utilize its wetland resources, making the city one of the most important stops for migratory birds.
 
With a wetland area of more than 40,000 hectares, Harbin has been chosen to be part of the first batch of international wetland cities.
 
According to statistics, the city's wetland resources include 21,900 hectares of tidal flat areas, 10,300 hectares of swamp in grassland areas, and 5,700 hectares of swamp in forest areas.
 
Harbin is home to one internationally famous wetland, eight provincial nature reserves, and 15 wetland parks at the provincial level or above. All of which provide ideal habitats for the wild animals and plants.
 
In recent years, Harbin has made greater efforts to protect its wetlands, resulting in an abundance of biological resources in the area.
 
There are 848 species of angiosperm in Harbin, accounting for 35 percent of the province's total. It is also home to 57 and 470 species of benthic invertebrate and vertebrate, respectively, including endangered oriental white storks and Chinese mergansers.
 
Thanks to a number of ecological improvement projects that focused on the water and wetland systems along the Songhua River, Harbin has restored a total of 3,000 hectares of wetlands and has developed wetland tourism products.
 
Among the 43 international wetland cities worldwide, China holds the most cities with such a title, totaling 13 locations.
 
Wetlands are one of the most important ecosystems in the world. They are a major factor in global climate change. They also play an important role in maintaining ecology, water resources, and biological security, as they are known as the "kidneys of the earth" and "species gene pools".