Xixi National Wetland Park
Xixi National Wetland Park, the first and so far only National Wetland Park in China, is located in the western outskirts Chinas beautiful paradice city of Hangzhou and lies at the southern tip of the longest and oldest canal in the world, the Hangzhou-Beijing Canal. Xixi covers an area of 3.46 square kilometers and features abundant ecological resources, beautiful natural scenes and a rich cultural heritage of many millennia. It ranks one of the "Three Xi" in Hangzhou along with the famous West Lake and Xiling Seal Society. It includes many thousands of ponds , networks of streams and rivers, extensive reedbeds and ecological areas and provides rich examples of aspects of urban wetland, as well as agricultural and cultural wetland environments. Many unique cultural aspects add to XixiĄ¯s fascination including the persimmon and plum festivals, the dragon boats, the silk industry, boat born martial arts and the prestige of being the birthplace of the famous ShaoXin opera. In this way Xixi National Wetland Park clearly represents a unique and unrivalled recreation and education experience.
(The five chords of xixi) (The four seasons of xixi)
Xixi Wetland History
At Xixi there is some evidence of an original wetland culture going back 4-5000 years. Specific records begin in the Dong Han dynasty (223 AD) where Buddhists gathered to drink of Xixi`s water and engaged in stone carving and the first Buddhist temples were soon built on site. The famous Hua Fa Shi Temple established from 480-493 AD is the earliest temple still present at Xixi although earlier temples existed. From the Tang Dynasty (beyond 618 AD), XixiĄ¯s natural beauty and ecology was being enthusiastically praised in the writings of the eminent poets. More recently, the famous Dragon Boat Festival was established (1465) together with the completion of many more pavilions and villas. Later still, In the mid 1600Ą¯s, a Buddhist revival spawned a further plethora of historical temples. The persimmon, plums, reeds, bamboo and magnificent Camphor trees of Xixi at this time were becoming highly prized, and the ecology of Xixi was a key feature referenced in poems, writings and paintings of the period, as was its bird life. Building names, at this time, reflected XixiĄ¯s ecological nature, prime examples including the Plum and Bamboo Villa established in 1839, and the Autumn Snow Temple referring to the sea of white reed heads viewed from the templeĄ¯s upper gallery. The fishing culture of Xixi has also been an important factor to the city - the fish and terrapins of Xixi`s 3000 ponds supplying much of the city of Hangzhou and surrounds.
Wetland refers to natural or artificial, permanent or temporary marshes, peat bog and waters (motionless or flowing, fresh water or salt water) including coastal seawater areas no deep than 6m in low tide. Wetland also includes beaches or riversides close to wetland areas, including island habitats, where the surrounding seawaters are no deeper than 6m at low tide within the area of wetland. Wetland ecological systems together with marine ecological systems and forest ecological system makes up the three key important ecological systems of the earth that together provide a huge percentage of the resources we require to sustain our human life and human society.
Here at Xixi, as an addition to the education programme we are also well underway with plans for Xixi agricultural holidays. Open for Chinese or foreign individuals or groups, particularly school groups, to come and join with the xixi locals in traditional fishing and other agricultural links. Schools groups can also be linked to education center and education officer for a programme in Chinese or in English. Please contact Chris Wood at Chris@xixiwetland.com.cn .
Traffic Information
Location Distance Approximate Time to Xixi
Hangzhou Center: 8 KmĄ¯s 25 Minutes
Main train Station: 10 kmĄ¯s 30 Minutes
East Bus Station; 10 kmĄ¯s 30 minutes
Xiao Shan Airport, 40 kmĄ¯s 50 minutes
Shanghai: 220KmĄ¯s 160 minutes
