Lashihai Wetland is a system of freshwater lakes and wetlands in
Yunnan
Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...
Province of south-central China. It is located in the Hengduan Mountains between 2,440 and 3,100 meters elevation. It includes Lashihai lake and its surrounding wetlands, as well as Wenhai lake to the north and Jizi Reservoir to the south. The wetlands drain into the Jinsha River, an upper basin tributary of the
Yangtze
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...
.Cai, Mengmeng & Dong, Zehao & Chen, Zejin & Zhao, Zheng. (2023). Ecological Service Function Evaluation and Sustainable Development Countermeasures of Plateau Wetland Ecosystem: A Case Study in Lashihai Nature Reserve, PRC. E3S Web of Conferences. 393. 10.1051/e3sconf/202339302007.
The lakes and wetlands provide drinking water to the city of Lijiang, and provide flood control, water storage, and water balance to the middle and lower basin of the Yangtze, which is home to hundreds of millions of people.
The wetlands are important habitat for resident and migratory
waterbird
A water bird, alternatively waterbird or aquatic bird, is a bird that lives on or around water. In some definitions, the term ''water bird'' is especially applied to birds in freshwater ecosystems, although others make no distinction from seabi ...
s. More than 100,000 waterbirds visit each year, and use the lake as a migratory stop-over, breeding ground, and/or wintering habitat. 76 species of geese and ducks have been observed here, and it is habitat for the critically endangered
white-shouldered ibis
The white-shouldered ibis (''Pseudibis davisoni'') is a large species of bird in the family Threskiornithidae. It is native to small regions of Southeast Asia, and is considered to be one of the most threatened bird species on this part of the co ...
(''Pseudibis davisoni'') and
Baer's pochard
Baer's pochard (''Aythya baeri'') is a diving duck found in eastern Asia. It is a resident bird in North and Central China, formerly bred in southeast Russia and Northeast China, migrating in winter to southern China, Vietnam, Japan, and India. ...
(''Aythya baeri'').
The lake was designated a
Ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
Protected Area Profile for Lashihai Wetland from the World Database on Protected Areas. Retrieved 31 July 2023. Fishing, poaching and hunting have been banned to protect the lake's wildlife. It attracts 5000 visitors daily, particularly for birdwatching.