China’s coastal conservation efforts have received another international boost after the Changshan Islands migratory bird habitat was officially added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site covering the migratory bird sanctuaries along the coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China, China Daily reports.
Changshan Islands in Shandong Province, China/来斤小仓鼠吧/Wikimedia Commons
The decision was approved on Monday during the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea, as part of a boundary expansion to the existing serial World Heritage property.
Located in Dalian, Liaoning Province, the newly added Changshan Islands component covers more than 4 900 hectares and provides vital habitat for more than 140 bird species.
The islands are particularly significant as they host the world’s largest breeding colony of Chinese egrets and support several nationally protected species year-round, including the black-faced spoonbill and the Western Pacific spotted seal.
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According to China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration, this marks the second expansion of the World Heritage property, strengthening its ecological integrity while reflecting the country’s integrated approach to conserving both terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
The migratory bird sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf were first inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019 as China’s first coastal wetland World Heritage Site.
The area plays a crucial role along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, providing an essential stopover for millions of migratory birds travelling between their breeding and wintering grounds.
The latest addition further reinforces the region’s importance as one of the world’s most significant migratory bird habitats and highlights ongoing efforts to protect biodiversity along China’s coastline.
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