Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China

"The site features an intertidal mudflat system considered to be the largest in the world. These mudflats, as well as marshes and shoals, are exceptionally productive and serve as growth areas for many species of fish and crustaceans. The intertidal areas of the Yellow Sea/Gulf of Bohai are of global importance for the gathering of many migratory bird species that use the East Asian-Australasian flyway. Large gatherings of birds, including some of the world's most endangered species, depend on the coastline as a stopover to molt, rest, winter or nest."

(An excerpt from the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List)

The UNESCO heritage area along the Yellow Sea-Gulf of Bohai coast was extended on July 26 with the admission of 5 new sites. These sites, namely an estuarine wetland in Chongming, Shanghai; the Yellow River estuary in Dongying, Shandong province; a wetland area in Cangzhou, Hebei province; a national-level nature reserve in Dalian, Liaoning province; and the Yalu River estuary in Dandong, Liaoning are part of Phase II of the project (Phase I sanctuaries had been inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2019). The wetlands serve a unique ecological function as indispensable stopover sites for many millions of waterbirds and represent a significant example of the shared natural heritage embodied in migratory birds.