Qinghuahai Wetland 青华海湿地

About Qinghuahai Wetland

More than 10,000 years ago the lake was a fully enclosed ancient Ailao lake ringed by primeval forest, and the area has been counted as the birthplace of Ailao culture and the political, economic and cultural centre of the ancient Ailao kingdom since as early as the 3rd century. As late as the 1950s it still held close to 10,000 mu of water and marsh, but water-conservancy works later drained and reclaimed the lake for farmland, and it disappeared for decades before restoration, a history reflected in place names such as Fishing Village and East Sea. The restoration project, covering West Lake, East Lake, the East River and the wetland with a planned area of about 10,500 mu, was chaired by Baoshan's then party secretary Zhao Deguang and passed review in December 2016 with an estimated investment of about 3.4 billion yuan, entering the national pilot wetland park programme.

The restored wetland now records 251 bird species, 992 plant species, 18 fish species, 12 amphibian species and 14 reptile species, and has attracted more than 20,000 wintering migratory birds including the globally critically endangered Baer's Pochard. A National Plateau Wetland Research Centre survey found 87 bird species and 18,041 individual birds across the park, 31 species and 16,577 individuals at East Lake alone; the same account records over 2,000 Common Pochard at East Lake in January 2019, wild water chestnut colonies (a nationally second-class protected plant) at both lakes in mid-2019, four Baer's Pochard at East Lake in February 2020, ten Garganey at Qinghua Hai in early March 2020, and a single Pallas's Fish Eagle, a nationally first-class protected species, at Qinghua Hai in March 2020. West Lake is anchored by Yongchang Pavilion, Baoshan's nine-storey landmark building and also home to the Yongzi Go Museum, while East Lake carries a ring boardwalk, a stepped waterfall and a rainbow bridge alongside its wintering birds.

What to look for

• Yongchang Pavilion on West Lake, Baoshan's nine-storey landmark building and home to the Yongzi Go Museum.
• The East Lake ring boardwalk, stepped waterfall and rainbow bridge.
• The causeway running north to south through the water, dividing West Lake from East Lake.
• Wintering migratory birds recorded at East Lake, including the globally critically endangered Baer's Pochard and the nationally first-class protected Pallas's Fish Eagle.

Location & getting there

Getting to Qinghuahai Wetland

Check the open visitor route and follow the site’s rules on distance, food and photography. Conservation areas may limit access beyond designated paths.

• Search for 青华海湿地 with 保山市 and 隆阳区.