Summer months transform Tianjin's Qilihai Wetland into an ecological showcase

In the summer months, Tianjin's Qilihai Wetland transforms into a breathtaking ecological showcase. This ancient coastal wetland — one of only three of its kind globally — has completed an eight-year ecological revival, now standing as a thriving "green lung" for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

"As one of the world's nine major bird migration corridors, Qilihai has witnessed remarkable wildlife resurgence. Bird species have surged from 182 to 258, while annual migratory populations has exploded from 200,000 to 500,000," said Bai Fengxiang, secretary of the CPC Ninghe District Committee.

The wetland now hosts over 4,000 Oriental white storks during migrations—nearly half the species' global population of 9,000. This dramatic recovery helped Ninghe district earn designation as a UN Biodiversity Charming City and Nature City last year, Bai said.

Technology underpins the reserve's conservation success. Five patrol drones operating on fixed routes provide 20-minute, full-coverage surveillance cycles.

"We've established an all-weather, full-coverage monitoring system," said Tian Xiujing, director of the reserve's management committee, during a demonstration of the drone network.

The wetland's renaissance extends to long-lost species. Milu deer, declared Extinct in the Wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, are reclaiming their historical habitat. After introducing 58 deer from Jiangsu last year, the population now nears 100.