By Zhou Yiyi and Han Jing

Hangzhou Bay Wetland Park, in northwestern Ningbo in the Hangzhou Bay New Area, has became a hot spot for bird lovers and zoologists interested in bird migration.

The land, a provincial wetland park, is one of China’s eight regional wetlands. The area of Hangzhou Bay Wetlands is expected to be about 2,700 meters long and 1,800 meters wide, with a total area of about 470 hectares, with 46 percent of the area being water.

The park is divided into four major functional areas, including a conservation area, functional display area, missionary service area and wetlands experience area.

“ The wetland park development and construction will be undertaken in two phases with a total planned investment of 552.6 million yuan ($86.5 million),” said Cen Bofeng, director of the wetland management center.

The Hangzhou Bay Wetland Park will be designed as a world-class famous spot for bird watching, combining the functions for species protection, development, research, tours, promotion and education.

Ningbo has unique bird resources with its location along the migratory channel of East Asian migratory birds, and the shoals provide abundant food.

“So far, the wetland park had registered 43 families, 186 kinds of birds, including 13 species of national key protected ones and nine species of vanishing birds listed on the IUCN World Conservation Union,” Cen said.

Cen added that all the plans are designed to better protect the original environment of the wetland park, focusing on the restoration of the original ecological system as much as possible.

Experts also said that although wetlands can drive the development of tourism of the new area and greatly enhance the popularity among tourists, promoting the ecological environment and living quality of the area, the construction work must be done in line with bird protection.