TAIYUAN: With the onset of winter, flocks of whooper swans from Siberia migrate to China, with their habitats in several provinces boosting local tourism, attracting photographers and visitors eager to witness the seasonal spectacle.
The Sanwan Wetland in the Yellow River basin, located in Pinglu County in north China’s Shanxi Province, is in a leeward location and has a mild winter climate, making it an ideal destination for wintering swans.
“The landscape is rich in vegetation. The swans are photographed like ballet dancers, especially when the water has just frozen,” said Li Yunsheng, a photography enthusiast who drove from Xi’an, capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province.
Li said he comes to the wetland to take photographs every year, noting the number of whooper swans has continued to increase in recent years. According to Wang Chao from the county’s forestry bureau, the number of whooper swans wintering here has exceeded 10,000 thanks to the improving ecological environment of the Yellow River basin.
In response to the increasing number of tourists, Pinglu County has developed an ecological wetland park with trails, observation platforms and other facilities available to visitors for free.
In Sanwan Village, situated opposite the park, Xie Lixia runs a restaurant serving tourists coming to see the swans. According to Xie, she can receive over 100 visitors a day during the busy seasons.
About 40 km from Pinglu County, there is a swan resort located in Ruicheng County that has drawn tourists with its unique offerings. –Agencies
