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| Lifestyle |
| Wetlands Come Alive | |
| Baicheng's environmental protection program continues to improve wetlands and birdlife conservation, in tandem with flourishing Mongolian culture in the region | |
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 Wild geese take to the dusk skies (FRANCISCO LITTLE)
China’s Baicheng City in northwest Jilin Province is taking major steps to promote their environmental protection efforts and restore one of the seven major wetland areas in the country. According to Jilin Government, Baicheng, bordering Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, heeded the call from Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this year for the country to accelerate the efforts being taken in safeguarding the environment and fragile eco-systems. Last year Beijing Review reported that Jilin had launched a project to restore farmland to wetland. This followed after many wetlands, most notably around Baicheng, had dried up because of water shortage. These were then reclaimed by farmers to cultivate crops. However in 2013, the process was reversed and farmlands were returned to wetlands by the city channeling massive volumes of water back to the affected areas. The latest environmental efforts in Baicheng has seen wetlands in the Momoge National Nature Reserve and Xianghai International Nature Reserve restored to their former glory, and, according to information provided by Jilin Government, while the reserves did attract visitors, environmental concerns rather than tourism was behind the efforts. Both reserves are important for breeding birdlife and returning the large numbers of waterfowl and especially the city’s unofficial mascot, the crane, back to their natural habitat. Wetlands quality relies heavily on the quantity of birdlife to maintain the eco-system. The now pristine Xianghai reserve, which the Jilin Government says covered 105,467 hectares, is characterized by grasslands, wetlands and lakes. It is also now a popular site for visitors, who have a chance to get up close and personal with cranes in captivity that make up part of the breeding program.  Fisherman casts his net in the wetlands
 Cranes returns to the Xianghai wetlands
 The Mongolian throat-singing folk group Guoerluosi
 Miaoyin Buddhist Temple, Song Yuan
Culture and environment A two-hour drive from Baicheng, in neighboring Songyuan City, Qagan Lake boasts the largest inland lake in Jilin Province and the seventh largest freshwater lake in China. It forms part of the protected wetlands promotion project and is rich in reed marshes and birdlife. The lake has initiated development of a string of restaurants and entertainent venues along its shores, which although in need of an upgrade, have much potential—all against a backdrop of the majestic Miaoyin Buddhist Temple. The buildings around the lake are all built in the unique Mongolian yurt style and it’s not surprising, as with the close proximity to Inner Mongolia, the city is home to an important Mongolian population. There are some officials in Jilin Provincial Government who are of Mongolian heritage. One of them spoke to ChinAfrica, saying he believes that the wetlands form the base of Mongolian culture. He said there has been an effort to promote the culture through Mongolian traditional dance troupes such as Andai and the impressive Mongolian throat-singing folk group Guoerluosi. The official said the environment and this ancient culture are intrinsically linked and protecting one preserves the others.  The Andai Mongolian dance troupe
 Early morning wetlands mist
 Wild geese being bred to return to the wild
Feeding wild geese at the breeding farm
 Baicheng’s wetlands returned to their former glory
(Reporting from Jilin Province) |
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