Tianshan Grand Canyon Scenic Area in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on August 9 (LU YAN) 

Seeing new generations of wild swans each year is Zhang Jiankun's greatest source of pride. As head of the administrative bureau of Manas National Wetland Park, Zhang knows the successful breeding of these second-class protected animals in China is a result of the park's steadily improving ecosystem. 

"This is the third consecutive year we've documented this phenomenon," Zhang told Beijing Review. 

Located in Manas County of Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Manas National Wetland Park once suffered from severe ecological degradation. "More than a decade ago, there was only a small stream here. Excessive grazing and farming activities in the surrounding area had devastated the wetland ecosystem," Zhang said. 

In 2011, the wetland, a pilot national wetland park at that time, began comprehensive restoration efforts, including converting farmland back into wetlands, dredging waterways, and replenishing water for ecological purposes. 

Today, the park, officially given the title of a national wetland park in 2016, stands as a testament to how sustained conservation efforts can breathe new life into ecosystems in Xinjiang, which is home to towering mountain glaciers, sprawling deserts and fertile oases.  

The Wuluwati Water Conservancy Project in Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang, on August 6 (LU YAN) 

Paradise for migrant birds  

Manas National Wetland Park is situated along the West Asian-East African Flyway, one of the world's eight most important migratory bird flyways. It serves as a crucial "energy replenishment station" for birds crossing the Tianshan Mountains, which are further from the ocean than any other mountains in the world and are the largest mountain area located within an arid zone.

Every year from October to November, tens of thousands of migratory birds arrive from Mongolia, stopping here to rest. They then continue their journey through regions such as the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, ultimately reaching the northern parts of the Indian Peninsula and Africa.

"Ecological water replenishment is crucial for maintaining wetland ecosystem health," Zhang said. "It plays a vital role in stabilizing water levels and improving water quality."

Ecological water replenishment is engineered or non-engineered measures that deliver water to ecosystems, such as rivers, lakes and wetlands experiencing water deficits due to natural or human factors. These interventions help meet these systems' water requirements to curb ecological degradation and restore their ability to self-regulate.

The park spans a total area of 47.02 square km, with nearly half being covered in water. Between 2023 and 2024, it received a cumulative 33.03 million cubic meters of ecological water replenishment--equivalent to filling over 13,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools--to sustain its fragile desert wetland ecosystem.

Zhang said the more than 10 years of systematic water replenishment has restored wetland connectivity and been effective in protecting and rehabilitating migratory bird habitats.

"The fact that wild swans have chosen our wetland to breed for three consecutive years is a strong testament to the quality of our ecological conservation," Zhang said. "In the first two years, one cygnet was successfully fledged each year; and this year, we've recorded six--a clear sign that the wetland's environment is healthy, with excellent water quality."

Moving forward, the park will enhance patrols and monitoring in swan nesting areas to ensure safer, more suitable conditions for the young swans' growth. "We're committed to creating an even better habitat for these cygnets to thrive," Zhang added.

Of the 453 bird species that spend at least part of the year in Xinjiang, Manas National Wetland Park has documented 279, including seven under national first-class protection and 40 under second-class protection. The wetland has also seen increases in both plant diversity and the populations of other wildlife species.

With tens of thousands of migrant wild birds passing through, the park has become a perfect destination for bird-watching enthusiasts. During peak visitation days, the wetland welcomes up to 10,000 daily visitors. "All remarkably maintaining quiet observation to avoid disturbing the wildlife," Zhang said.

In the future, the park is expected to welcome more tourists and visitors. Despite that, protecting the ecological environment and wildlife remains its top priority. Zhang said nearby villages can accommodate tourists with dining and recreational activities, boosting local income. However, within the wetland park itself, development is strictly minimized to preserve its pristine ecological beauty.

From desert to green

Xinjiang's vast deserts cover 440,600 square km, accounting for 64 percent of China's total desert land area, according to official data released in 2023. The region contains 10 major deserts, with the Taklimakan Desert in southern Xinjiang and the Gurbantunggut Desert in northern Xinjiang being China's largest and second largest deserts.

In response to these challenging environmental conditions, Xinjiang, the Chinese region most severely affected by concentrated desertification, has implemented comprehensive ecological conservation measures with notable success in recent years. The region has achieved measurable progress through the reduction of desertified and sandy terrain, substantial improvements in soil erosion control, and the creation of the world's most extensive desert-edge shelterbelt network.

Among these initiatives, the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program stands out as a cornerstone project in combating desert expansion. This large-scale afforestation effort, launched in 1978 across northwest, north and northeast China, is a strategic response to sandstorm mitigation and soil erosion prevention. The program's eight-phase implementation across 13 provincial-level regions is scheduled to be completed in 2050.

Xinjiang's sustained environmental investment has resulted in the cumulative afforestation of approximately 4.67 million hectares, creating a biodiverse shelterbelt system incorporating multiple tree species that is effectively restraining desertification across the region. Forest coverage had increased from 4.24 percent in 2012 to 5.07 percent by 2024.

The Tarim River Basin surrounding the Taklimakan Desert is home to nearly 90 percent of China's natural desert poplar (Populus euphratica) forests, forming a vital natural barrier against sandstorms and desert encroachment.

At 43 years old, Yibulayimu, working at the Populus Euphratica Forest Protection Center in Shaya County of Aksu Prefecture, has dedicated 17 years to forest conservation. He still remembers how commercial logging along the riverbanks and villagers chopping down trees for firewood were once commonplace.

In 1998, China launched a pilot Natural Forest Protection Program in Xinjiang, and by 1999, Shaya County had completely banned the logging of desert poplars. Unfortunately, some areas of Shaya's poplar forests still showed signs of degradation due to chronic water shortages. Today, at the county's famous "Ghost Forest" scenic area, visitors can still witness vast stands of these ancient trees that perished from dehydration after the river's diversion.

In 2016, Xinjiang launched a comprehensive ecological conservation initiative for the populus euphratica forests in the Tarim River Basin. That same year marked the official commencement of floodwater diversion projects to irrigate poplar along the middle and upper reaches of the Tarim River.

The 266-km Shaya section of the Tarim River serves as a critical frontline defense against the advancing Taklamakan Desert. In recent years, Shaya has considerably enhanced the ecological restoration of the wetlands in the upper reaches of the Tarim River through integrated conservation strategies.

Now, degraded poplar forests within the county have been restored, with natural young forest areas increasing by more than 3,000 hectares. The lush and continuous poplar forests in Shaya also provide habitats for wildlife such as white-tailed ground jays, black storks and red deer, while the county's beautiful waters and scenery have made it an emerging tourist destination in southern Xinjiang.

In 2024, the poplar forest scenic area in Shaya received 234,000 visitors, a year-on-year increase of 35.3 percent, and during this year's May Day holiday (from May 1 to 5) alone, it welcomed over 160,000 visitors.

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson   

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