Wandering the World (1605): Summer Visit to Qiangguan Wetland Park

In early August 2022, I drove with my family to visit Dalian Qiangguan Wetland Park. Pictured is the signboard of Qiangguan Wetland Park.

This summer in Dalian was not too hot, but there were still quite a few people visiting the wetland park. Photo taken at Qiangguan Wetland Park.

Many people were having picnics in the wetland park.

Qiangguan Wetland Park is located in Qiangguan Village, Dalian Bay Street, Ganjingzi District. Although the place is called Qiangguan Village, it is surrounded by high-rise buildings and is no longer a true countryside—it has become urbanized. Photo taken at Qiangguan Wetland Park.

Qiangguan Wetland Park is actually a wetland park in the city center. Despite the impact of the pandemic, there were many visitors in the park.

Starting from downtown Dalian, take National Highway 201, and shortly after crossing the Houyan Overpass, you will arrive at Qiangguan Wetland Park. Photo taken at Qiangguan Wetland Park.

The total area of Qiangguan Wetland Park is 176,000 square meters, of which the wetland area is 67,700 square meters. Photo taken at Qiangguan Wetland Park.

The central part of the park is a wetland experience zone, with a 600-meter-long boardwalk extending into the wetland, and a 1.5-kilometer lake loop road built around the wetland, allowing visitors to experience the wetland up close. Photo taken at Qiangguan Wetland Park.

The western part of the park is a cultural leisure area, using the original four fish ponds to introduce new species such as water lilies, water hyacinths, and lotuses for trial planting. Now is the blooming season. Photo taken at Qiangguan Wetland Park.

A tiny lotus bud has just emerged, and a dragonfly is already perched on top.

A tiny lotus bud has just emerged.

According to the park's introduction, a wetland is an ecosystem transitional between land and water. The concept of a wetland park is similar to a small protected area but differs from nature reserves and general parks.

Qiangguan Wetland Park maintains the unique natural ecosystem of the area, keeping it close to a natural landscape, and sustains the ecological balance and coordinated development of different plant and animal species within the system. While minimizing disturbance to the wetland's natural habitat, various auxiliary facilities are built, integrating ecological protection, eco-tourism, and environmental education. This achieves rational development of natural resources and improvement of the ecological environment, ultimately reflecting the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature. Photo taken at Qiangguan Wetland Park.

The eastern part of the park is a fruit tree and flower zone, with an orchard of over 10,000 square meters and various ornamental flowers and rocks for visitors to enjoy. Photo taken at Qiangguan Wetland Park.

Qiangguan Wetland Park aims to let the public learn more about wetland culture and wetland ecological species while enjoying nature. Photo taken at Qiangguan Wetland Park.

Animals such as pheasants, wild ducks, water snakes, forest frogs, tree frogs, and rice frogs have been found in Qiangguan Wetland Park.

During bird migration seasons, you can hear various birds calling to each other, sometimes singing loudly, sometimes whispering. Photo taken at Qiangguan Wetland Park.

Many wild ducks have made Qiangguan Wetland Park their home.

Wild ducks in Qiangguan Wetland Park.

Wetlands are one of the most important environmental assets for humanity, and they are ecosystems with rich biodiversity and high productivity. Photo taken at Qiangguan Wetland Park.

Qiangguan Wetland is not a tidal flat wetland formed by rivers; rather, it is a wetland formed by groundwater emerging from springs in underground rivers, and the water discharge is substantial. Photo taken at Qiangguan Wetland Park.

Various small pavilions built in Qiangguan Wetland Park are constructed in the pond water filled with blooming reeds, which is quite distinctive. Photo taken at Qiangguan Wetland Park.

Someone is singing in the pavilion.

Someone is resting in the pavilion.

Children playing by the water.

Children playing by the water.

A child and mother playing by the water.

Many people having picnics in the wetland park.

Garden ornaments in the park.

Strolling through the wetland park, every step offers a view, making it hard to leave.