(Yicai) July 29 -- The Chongming Dongtan National Nature Reserve has become the first site in Shanghai to be included in the World Natural Heritage List.

The decision was made during the 46th session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Committee in New Delhi, India, on July 26.

The Chongming Dongtan Reserve is the southernmost site of the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II). It is a crucial stopover for migratory birds and an important habitat for wintering birds along their migration route.

Studies have shown that long-distance migratory birds can fly directly to the Chongming Dongtan Reserve from Australia, while medium- and short-distance migratory birds use the reserve as an important stopover hub during their spring migration.

Nearly one million migratory waterbirds reside in or transit through the Chongming Dongtan Reserve every year. So far, a total of 300 bird species have been recorded in the area.

The Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II) encompass migratory bird protection areas in Shanghai, Shandong, Hebei and Liaoning provinces.

The Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf coast is one of the most densely populated and rapidly developing regions in the world. It is also a crucial stopover area along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, the migratory route with the highest number of bird species and the most threatened bird species globally.

The Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase I) was inscribed into the World Heritage List in 2019. The heritage site is located in Yancheng in Jiangsu province, about 300 kilometers north of Shanghai.

China’s Badain Jaran Desert -- Towers of Sand and Lakes and Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital were added to the UNESCO’s World Heritage List as natural and culture site respectively, during the session.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Futura Costaglione