 | Hangzhou was recognized as an international wetland city at the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in Zimbabwe on July 24 — making Hangzhou and Wenzhou the first cities in Zhejiang province to receive this global honor.
The recognition follows a five-year journey that reflects Hangzhou's commitment to wetland protection and its evolution into a model for balancing ecological conservation with urban development.
Legacy of water, culture
Hangzhou's relationship with wetlands traces back over 5,000 years to the Liangzhu Civilization, one of the earliest rice-growing societies in the world. The city's rich history — from Venetian explorer Marco Polo's praises of its water-linked beauty to classical poetry — reflects a deep bond between wetlands and urban life.
Today, wetlands cover 134,300 hectares, representing 8 percent of Hangzhou's land area and making it one of China's most water-abundant cities. It's also home to China's only national-level Wetland Museum.
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