Gaoqing County, Shandong: the paradise of birds on the river islands

Recently, the Swan Lake Hot Spring International Slow Town in Gaoqing County, Zibo was named on the “List of Established Ecotourism Areas in Shandong Province” jointly released by the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and the Shandong Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, according to the Information Office of Zibo Municipal People’s Government.

The Swan Lake Hot Spring Slow Town is located on the south bank of the Yellow River, where there are a lot of rivers, lakes, and wetlands. In recent years, 2 million square meters of wetlands have been restored through afforestation at the settling basins of the Yellow River and sand fixing projects. The greening rate has reached more than 85% and the negative oxygen ion concentration is more than 20,000 ions/cm3 all year round. Therefore, the Swan Lake Hot Spring Slow Town has become an excellent destination of ecological tourism that is good for health. It is known as a “Natural Oxygen Bar” and has been accepted as a member by Cittaslow International.

“Birds know best whether the ecology is good or not.” The excellent ecological environment has attracted more than 100 species of birds to breed and inhabit here. The County Government has established the Scientific Observation and Research Station for Protecting Biodiversity in the Yellow River Wetlands and achieved remarkable results in the protection of biodiversity. Today, swans, egrets, and sand gulls are everywhere in rivers and lakes throughout the Swan Lake Hot Spring International Slow Town. It attracts 2 million tourists a year, and has become a “poetic tourist destination” yearned for by citizens.

Nowadays, farmers on the banks of the Yellow River rely on the Swan Lake Hot Spring International Slow Town, “a garden at their doorsteps”, and develop the ecological tourism industry for a living. Every household runs farm family resorts and guesthouses, opening up a new path of rural revitalization.

Source: The Information Office of Zibo Municipal People’s Government