Xianghai National Nature Reserve is a major habitat for migratory birds in northeast China's Jilin Province. Located in the Horqin Grassland, the reserve covers an area of 106,700 hectares, and 39 percent of its area is covered with marshland, water, reeds, or a secondary forest growth. It features more than 20 types of trees and 200 types of plants, with three major rivers flowing through. As a paradise for birds, it is the home of 293 species of rare birds, including six breeds of cranes. It earned the reputation of "the hometown of cranes", due to the large groups of cranes and the number of crane species. There are also some other wild animals living in the area including roes, Mongolian rabbits, wolves, and fishes. The reserve was listed as an A-class wetland by the World Wildlife Fund International (World Wide Fund for Nature) in 1992 and was included in the People and Bio-sphere Protection Network in 1993. (Photo/China.org.cn)
