Shengjin Lake, known as the "Crane Lake of China"

Shengjin Lake is a famous freshwater lake in Anhui Province, China, located on the south bank of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, spanning Guichi District and Dongzhi County. The lake covers an area of 132.8 square kilometers and is one of the important wintering grounds for rare migratory birds. Shengjin Lake is known as the lake of "rising gold value of daily fish production" due to its rich aquatic biological resources and beautiful natural scenery. Shengjin Lake is a shallow freshwater lake, formed by the connection of Xiaobai Lake, Shengjin Lake, and Huangpen Lake. The lake water comes from Zhangxi River and Tanbu River, and is connected to the Yangtze River through a waterway. The water level of the lake rises and falls with the water level of the river, with the water level reaching 2.5 to 3 meters in summer, and the water level drops in autumn and early winter, exposing large areas of marshland, grass beaches, and mudflats. The climate of Shengjin Lake is mild, with an average annual temperature of 16.5 degrees Celsius and a frost-free period of about 240 days. The annual average precipitation is 1517.8 mm, with the rainy season mainly from April to June, and the winter is relatively dry. The reserve has 55 species of aquatic and water-rich vascular plants, including Euryale, goldfish algae, bitter grass, water chestnut, bamboo leaf eye vegetable, moss grass, small leaf star shrink vegetable, etc. The lake area is rich in fish resources, including carp, crucian carp, catfish, green fish, grass carp, white carp, etc. In addition, there are 18 kinds of mollusks in the lake, such as Chinese round field snails, pleated crown clams, etc. Shengjin Lake is the only national nature reserve in Anhui Province with rare wintering water birds and their habitats as the main protected objects. There are 142 species of birds, including 66 species of wintering migratory birds. There are 5 species of birds under national first-class protection, including white-headed cranes, white cranes, black storks, etc., and 16 species of birds under national second-class protection, including white-crowned cranes, small swans, etc. Shengjin Lake has also seen the endangered animal Yangtze alligator. Shengjin Lake was listed as a national key waterfowl nature reserve in 1986, included in the "List of Important Wetlands in Asia" in 1988, and included in the "List of Important Wetlands in the World" on December 25, 2015, becoming the first nature reserve in Anhui Province to win an international title. This lake is not only a habitat for rare migratory birds, but also a symbol of the increasingly good ecological environment, showing rich animal and plant resources.