Xiangyang Daily (Tong Guanghui, the Journalist, and Yang Jiayi, the Correspondent) On April 2, the 44th “Bird-Loving Week” publicity campaign of Hubei Province was held in Yuan’an County, Yichang City, Hubei Province. During the event, the Hubei Wetland Protection Foundation released the list of Hubei Province’s “Top 10 Most Beautiful Wetlands,” among which the Gucheng Hanshui River National Wetland Park was selected.

The theme of this year’s event is “Protecting Birds and Jointly Painting a New Ecological Landscape.” It aims to further put into practice the “Two Mountains” concept, continuously enhance Hubei Province’s reputation as a “province rich in wetlands,” and promote the in-depth integration of wetland conservation with the development of ecological and cultural tourism.

Hubei Province’s “Top 10 Most Beautiful Wetlands” list highlights classic birdwatching routes, providing the public with authoritative guidance for wetland ecotourism.

The Gucheng Hanshui River National Wetland Park covers 2,133.6 hectares, with wetlands accounting for 51.64% of its total area. It is divided into five functional zones: an ecological conservation zone, an ecological restoration zone, a science education and outreach zone, a rational utilization zone, and a management and service zone. The park performs multiple public welfare functions, including environmental beautification, science popularization and education, wetland research, ecological sightseeing, and leisure and recreation. It not only provides an important habitat for aquatic plants and bird species but also plays a significant role in ensuring clean water sources in the middle and lower reaches of the Hanshui River. The park has been successively awarded honors such as a wetland of national importance, an important habitat along national migratory bird flyways, a national nature education base, one of the first batch of important terrestrial wildlife habitats in China, and the Seventh Governmental Award of Hubei Province for Environmental Protection.

To create a favorable ecological environment for migratory waterbirds, the wetland park has invested substantial funds in implementing key projects such as wetland ecological restoration, biodiversity conservation, water purification, and ecological compensation for wetland benefits. It is committed to building an integrated functional area and scenic tourism belt that combines scientific research, ecology, recreation, and sightseeing. At present, a total of 129 bird species have been recorded in the park, including six species under first-class national protection: the Chinese Merganser, Golden Eagle, Black Stork, Oriental Stork, Syrmaticus reevesii, and Yellow-breasted Bunting.