Zhalong National Park

Zhalong National Park rests in the remote suburbs of Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, northeastern China, and covers 210,000 hectares of shallow, flat freshwater pristine wilderness, that contains vast expanses of freshwater reed and sedge marshes 75 centimeters deep, grasslands, wooded swamps, meadows, lakes 5 meters deep and ponds teeming with fish, shrimp, water insects and frogs. Lakes and marshes sprinkle the land. All these along with a dense network of streams and oak forests afford a wonderful habitat as well as a beautiful haven that sustains a rich supply of nourishments for the rare and endangered cranes and more than 200 species of water birds, but it is unfavorable for and absent of beasts.

Zhalong National Park, a world-known home of cranes, harbors 6 species of China's 9 species of cranes, most spectacular and prominent is the graceful red-crowned crane, which has an extraordinarily good population and the largest concentration of the country.

In addition to the primary focus on the red-crowned cranes, the five other crane species-Siberian crane (Grus leucogeranus), common crane (Grus grus), white-napped crane (Grus vipio), demoiselle crane (Anthropoides virgo) and hooded crane (Grus monacha)-are also seasonal denizens here. Most of the crane species at this park are at the first or the second level of the state's key protection. All the cranes here, red-crowned crane in particular, are very carefully managed and monitored in every way possible. They are protected from disturbance as much as possible during their time here, usually from April through mid-October. Even park staff normally do not enter the breeding grounds except to take special care of eggs and chicks.

The best options to see the cranes and the whole park are to watch them from the platform on the top of the headquarters of the park with a spotting scope overlooking the marshes, or to put a canoe in the water and paddle. Some of the wildlife can be seen from these vantage points. The most impressive sights are in spring and fall migrations, flock and flock cranes flying in the blue sky just like drifting clouds.

Since the swamp's sprawling plant growth provides cover for most of the creatures great and small, a quick glance may reveal no many animal life. If you listen and watch carefully, however, you can feel life all around you. Cranes, frogs, birds and insects sing together in an unending background accompaniment; fish pop up here and there; hundreds and hundreds of water birds flock to the ponds or the lakes to feed, some drying their wings or diving for fish, flipping in the air then swallowing whole; some walking across the marshes in search of insects; sparrows, squirrels, woodpeckers along with other small birds rustle in the foliage.

Reeds and sedges flourish, overwhelming the other plant life, reaching beyond sight in every direction and changing color at the whim of the sun, the clouds and the season. They start out green, ages to yellow, and then, as the days shorten, shift to brown. Barely ruffled by the wind sweeping above them, unswayed by the crys­tal-clear water whirling around their stems, reeds thrust their tufted heads as much as 1-3 meters toward the sky.

The clear and still waters cast almost perfect reflections of the trees and the reeds towering above the surface. Protuberant big clumps formed from accumulated plant debris, covered with grasses, mostly sedges, and surrounded by clear water, rise above the marsh surface, creating a peculiar and common sight on the northeastern freshwater marshes. In summertimes, the marshes are full of flow­ers-marsh pinks, purple, white, blue, scarlet and gold, making a profusion of colors.

Zhalong National Park is a national wildlife refuge rather than a national park because it has more restrictions on visitations and recreational activities than a national park, but these limitations can become advantages. The refuge is less crowded, and fewer people mean less disturbance, less trash and other human evidence.