Zhalong Nature Reserve, located in the western part of Heilongjiang Province, is a well-preserved primitive wetland reserve. Covering an area of 2,100 square kilometers (210,000 hectares), this marshland is a major migratory route for birds from the Arctic to South East Asia.

The reserve serves as a stopover and nesting area for a large number of storks, swans, herons, grebes and other species. Its ponds and reeds make it an ideal home for over 300 different species of birds, including six kinds of cranes, especially red-crowned cranes.[China.org.cn]