Xianghai National Nature Reserve is now a national forest and wild animal nature reserve, it is an A-class wetland in the world, and a reservation to which the United Nations attaches great importance. It is a paradise of birds.

The nature reserve extends 100,000 hectares on the edge of the Songliao Plain and in Tongyu County in eastern Horqin Grassland Tongyu County, and 39 percent of its area is covered with marshland, water, reeds, or a second growth of the virgin forests. The Nature Reserve is the natural habitat for 293 kinds of precious birds, including six breeds of cranes. The idyllic prairie and the local Mongol folklore combine to make this bird watching place a very fascinating place.

The Xianghai National Nature Reserve is located in the Xianghai Village which is 70 km northwest of Tongyu County, Baicheng City. The Xianghai National Nature Reserve, with a total area of 105467 hectares, runs 45 km from south to north while from east to west the widest part covers a length of 42 km.

Originally established by Jilin Provincial Government in 1981, the Xianghai National Nature Reserve was permitted in 1986 by the State Council as a National Forest and Wildlife Nature Reserve and listed in the International Important Wetlands in 1992. This World Grade A wetland is the "nature reserve region" that the UNESCO concerns deeply.

The Xianghai National Nature Reserve consists of grasslands that mainly went through desertification and Stalinization, with many anchored dunes, swamps and lakes scattered here and there. Large and small blisters spread all over and the water depth is always 3 meters. The average temperature in here is 4.9 as well as the annual rainfall is 400-450 mm. Annual evaporation is reached the 1890mm and the frost-free period is almost 170 days.

The cranes, white storks and Mongolia Yellow Elm are as the main object of protection. A large area of reed marshes forms an endless reed sea, which is a unique feature of Xianghai. This reserve is also characterized by meadow steppe and woodland, especially the yellow elm forests on the dunes which claim to be a rare scenic forest in the world. 

Xianghai, with its abundant grasses and water, is a paradise for birds. According to recent researches, 293 species of birds have been identified. Among these are more than 20 kinds of raptors such as golden eagle, erne, vulture, falcon and fish hawk.

Other birds include bustard, graylag, White-fronted Goose and the endangered species, the white stork, first-class protected bird. Among the many birds in Xianghai, and the crane is the most renowned. Xianghai has 6 of the 14 kinds of cranes in the world: Red-crowned crane, white crane, common crane, hooded crane, demoiselle crane and white-napped crane. It earns the reputation of "the hometown of cranes", due to the large groups of cranes and the number of crane species.

Beside the cranes, in Xianghai there are 37 species of predators, for instance, roe, Mongolian rabbit and wolf, 19 kinds of fish: Herring, grass carp, carp and mandarin fish, 14 kinds of amphibians and reptiles.

There are many lowland meadow and meadow stepped and it is distributed a large number of herbs. The dunes are staggered between the lakes and the meadow and the yellow elm forest is in the dunes.

There are recorded more than 200 kinds of birds. Every year, the red-crowned crane, the white-mapped crane, white crane, demoiselle crane, many kinds of cranes would come here to build their own nest to lay eggs. Quiet surroundings, fish and birds resources, rich in aquatic vegetation, many floating rooted plants, all the these are attractive the travelers if you want to be closed to the nature.

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