Dongying in Shandong province was recognized with 17 other cities that have taken exceptional steps to safeguard their urban wetlands during the 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP13) held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Oct 25.

Five more Chinese cities were included in the list: Hunan province's Changde city, Jiangsu's Changshu, Haerbin in Heilongjiang province, Haikou in Hainan province and Yinchuan, capital city of Ningxia Hui autonomous region. 

According to the organizing committee of the COP13, urban wetlands are prize land not wasteland and therefore should be integrated into the development and management plans of cities, and these pioneer cities should serve as examples and inspire deliberate actions for other cities towards sustainable urbanization.

The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

Dongying is located in northeastern Shandong province, in the delta where the Yellow River, China's mother river, joins the sea.

The city has the broadest and youngest wetland ecosystem in the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve. Known as "one of the most beautiful wetlands in China", it covers 1,530 square kilometers.

In recent years, Dongying has striven to build a modern ecological city through industrial upgrading and environmental protection, especially of its wetland resources, and has delivered results.                                             

An aerial photo shows the beautiful wetland landscape of the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve in Dongying, Shandong province in autumn. [Photo by Ding Hongan/dongying.gov.cn] 

A visitor poses for a photo at the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve in Dongying, Shandong province in autumn. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]  

The Yellow River Delta wetland in Dongying is a pit stop for migrating birds. [Photo by Wei Dong/dongying.gov.cn]

The beautiful landscape of the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve in Dongying, Shandong province during summertime. [Photo/dongying.gov.cn]