First designated as a Ramsar site by the United Kingdom, transferred to China in 1997. A shallow coastal bay with extensive intertidal mudflats backed by dwarf mangroves, shrimp and fishponds. Thirteen globally threatened species of birds and 17 species of invertebrates new to science are present. Human activities include research, conservation education, fish farming and recreation. The lake, centered on an island, is fed by two rivers and numerous smaller rivers originating from mountain snow melt.
Marshes are both brackish and fresh, along which a rich alpine meadow community thrives.
Human activities include livestock grazing, fishing, and tourism. A large freshwater lake subject to seasonal fluctuations, within a region of subtropical, deciduous broad-leaved and evergreen forest surrounded by marshes and wet grassland fed by five major rivers. The site supports numerous species of plankton, mollusc, fish, and mammals and at least 46 species of birds. It is important for wintering and staging birds and for a population of 20,000 people whose activities include grazing water buffalo, harvesting grass and aquatic vegetation, small-scale cultivation, fishing and a freshwater pearl industry. Wildlife tourism is increasing rapidly.