World Wetlands Day: A glimpse of China's "earth’s kidneys"

Feb. 2, 2021 marks the World Wetlands Day, themed “Wetland and Water.” The wetland resource, known as "earth’s kidneys,” is an ecosystem with multiple unique functions on the earth, which plays an important role in maintaining ecological balance and biodiversity.

Over the years, through unremitting efforts, China's wetland protection area has increased substantially. It has basically formed a national wetland protection system with 41 wetlands of international importance, more than 550 wetland nature reserves, and more than 400 wetland parks. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), more than 200,000 hectares of wetland were added, and the wetland protection rate reached over 50 percent.

Below are 20 famous wetlands across China.

Wansheng Economic and Technological Development Zone, Chongqing municipality (Photo/Xinhua)