In winter, the water surface of the Swan Spring Wetland Park in Yingtamu Town, Yining County, Xinjiang is covered with mist. The Yining County Swan Science Research Center, built with the help of the Nantong Working Group of the Jiangsu Provincial Counterpart Support Front Headquarters of the Xinjiang Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, is located here. The center connects ecological protection and cultural tourism development with a science popularization carrier, writing a new story of symbiosis and co-prosperity by the Swan Spring.
The picture shows swans in Swan Spring Wetland Park. Photo by Yuan Pengchong
This research center has a total investment of approximately 4.5 million yuan and a construction area of 800 square meters. It has five major sections centered on the concepts of "science, interaction, experience, and enlightenment". The light and shadow on the sand table present the overall view of the wetland, the popular science exhibition area interprets the habits of mute swans, the restoration scene records the wetland restoration process, the immersive space restores the scene of swans cruising in the rime snow ridge, and the art exhibition area gathers humanistic expressions related to swans, allowing visitors to understand why this hot spring wetland has become an important wintering habitat for mute swans in China even if they are not overwintering.
The picture shows swans playing in Swan Spring Wetland Park. Photo courtesy of Yining County Media Center
The 3,240-acre Swan Spring Wetland has spring water that never freezes all year round and is rich in water and grass. In 1993, five mute swans settled here and have been visiting every year since. Bird guardian Han Xinlin has been patrolling and feeding the birds for thirty years, silently guarding these "white elves".
With the continuous restoration and standardized management of the wetland, the number of wintering mute swans has increased to more than a thousand, and more than ten species of birds such as coots and mergansers live here, and the wetland ecological chain is becoming increasingly complete. From the villagers' voluntary protection to the inclusion in the pilot protection program of Yamatu National Wetland Park, Swan Spring has become a vivid example of the two-way relationship between man and nature.
According to the person in charge of the Nantong Working Group of Jiangsu Aid to Yili, the local area continues to do a good job in "swan articles", promotes the coordinated progress of protection and development, expands the "rime + ecology + swan" landscape space, creates a benchmark scenic spot of "village landscape integration, village landscape interaction", and strives to build a migratory bird watching and leisure destination in the Yili metropolitan area.
Nowadays, tourists come here to enjoy sightseeing, accommodation and shopping. With the continuous upgrading of supporting services, the "Swan Town" of Yingtamu Town is beginning to take shape. Xiaheleke Tamu Village in Yingtamu Town relies on its resource advantages to promote the development of rural scenic spots, explores the "party branch + cooperative + enterprise + farmer" model, and launches the first phase of the Swan Suji project, introducing market-oriented operations to drive the quality and income of the homestay industry.
It is understood that from the winter of 2025 to the following spring, Swan Spring will receive 160,000 tourists and generate tourism revenue of more than 3 million yuan. Ecological dividends will continue to benefit the local people.
Behind the fluttering wings of the swan is the persistence of the guardians, the empowerment of the forces supporting Xinjiang, and the long-term practice of the local concept of green waters and green mountains. The hot springs flow continuously and swans arrive as promised. The wetland of the Ili River Valley is making steady progress on the road of ecological protection, cultural tourism integration and rural revitalization. (over)
