Jining, a city used to be well-known for coal production in East China's Shandong province, has turned into an international wetland town thanks to the city's ecological conservation efforts over the past years.

Jining, a typical area with complex and diverse land forms, developed water systems and rich mineral resources, has been exploring ways in wetland protection. However, in the process of coal mining, many places have become collapsed, and a series of ecological and social problems have emerged thereafter.

To improve the city's environment amid the nation's efforts to build ecological civilization, Jining made efforts in the past years in reclamation of coal mining subsidence and in wetland protection, and carried out the comprehensive development and utilization of the new wetland resulting from the coal-mining subsidence.

In the meanwhile, relying on the unique wetland ecosystem, it developed the environmental-friendly agriculture, forestry, fishery, culture and tourism. It has reclaimed the coal-mining subsidence area of more than 30,000 hectares, and promoted the transformation of "ecological depression" into "an industrial highland".

At present, there are about 152,400 hectares of wetlands in Jining, with a wetland rate of 13.62 percent and a wetland protection rate of 77.38 percent.

An aerial view of Taibai Lake Wetland in Jining. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_ccfd1293bad8]