he Yellow River Estuary Ecological Tourism Zone is built by relying on Shandong Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve. It is located in the present estuary of the Yellow River, boasting of river and sea intersection, ecological wetland, rare and endangered birds, coastal beach landscape, oil industry and other unique ecological tourism resources. The nature reserve covers an area of 1,530km2, in possession of the world’s widest, most complete and youngest wetland ecosystem.
Here is the place where the Yellow River runs into the sea. Carrying a large amount of sediment, the Yellow River flows into the sea from the natural reserve and extends about 2km into the sea every year, with the annual area making of 13.8km2. The land created by the great river is hailed as the youngest land of the People’s Republic of China. Here is the place for the yellow dragon to swim into the sea. The magnificent Yellow River embraces the blue sea and created the spectacle of intersection of river and sea.
Here is the place wherethe international airport for birds. The area is rich in bird resources, has a great many of rare and endangered birds, a total of 368 species. There are 12 species of the first-class national protected birds, including red-crowned crane, oriental white stork, and 51species of the second-class national protected birds, such as gray crane, big swan, which is an important transit station, wintering and breeding habitat of migratory birds in the Northeast Asia inland area and the west Pacific Ocean, known as the hometown of Chinese oriental white stork and Chinese black-headed gull.
Here is the largest coastal natural vegetation area in China. There are more than 393 species of plants, including 277 species of wild seed plants. Among them, the representative species includerobinia pseudoacacia, salix psammophila, tamarix, phragmites australis, suaeda salsa, etc. Moreover, there are 43km2 of the national second-class protected wild soybean, 270km2 of natural reed, 120kms of natural grass, 150km2 of natural Tamarix shrub, with the vegetation coverage of about 55.1%. The area has a number of red carpets covering an area of over ten thousand mu as well as the largest artificial locust forest in the north China Plain area. It is the best place to study the formation, evolution and development rules of new estuary wetland in China and even the world. The three wonders, namely, river and sea intersection, new wetland and wild birds, have unique tourism resources and are non-replicable, which are unique world-class tourism resources. The area has the titles including international class wetland, national demonstration nature reserve, national 4A-level tourist attractions, national forest park, national geological park, top 10 cultural tourism destination, China’s six most beautiful wetland, with important cultural, artistic and scientific value.