Published on: 2026-05-11
Source: The People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Qing’an, May 11 /Xinhua/ — Every autumn Li Weimin, a resident of Junchen County /Shandong Province, East China/, goes to Tian’e Lake /Swan Lake/ waiting for the “old friend” — a whooper swan named Dabai.
This story began in the winter of 2020. During fieldwork, Li Weimin came across an injured whooper swan with a serious wing injury. He took the bird to a rescue station, named her Dabai /Great White/ and she recovered over several months. After the wound healed, in the spring of 2021, the swan was released back into the wild.
Zhuncheng County is located on the eastern tip of the Shandong Peninsula, which juts into the Yellow Sea. It is home to one of the largest wintering sites for swan geese in the world, and therefore it is called the “City of Swans in China.” Every year from October to April of the following year, swan geese, mute swans, and American swans from Siberia and the surroundings of Lake Baikal arrive here to winter. In recent years, the wintering bird population has steadily exceeded 10,000 individuals, reaching 20,000 during peak seasons — nearly one-third of all swans wintering in the country.
In subsequent years, the Dabie swan returned annually to Zhungchen and swam to Li Weimin. However, in the 2023 season, the Dabie swan did not appear. “Maybe it got lost? Maybe it is threatened by danger? Maybe it forgot about Zhungchen?” These were the questions the Chinese people asked.
A late response came from Russia: in the parcel sent by Russian ornithologists, there was a ring with a swan’s leg belonging to Dabay and a letter. It turned out that the swan had been injured again, but local specialists in bird care in Russia saved and treated it. After removing the ring, they sent it to their Chinese colleague and reported that the swan was fine.
This case has become one of the examples of the Chinese-Russian “ecological relay race.” In recent years, China and Russia have jointly opened migratory corridors for migratory birds flying over the territories of both countries. Cooperation includes strengthening the protection of wetlands, restoring ecosystems along migration routes, and exchanging data on bird migration. Coordinated actions allow millions of birds to move safely and rest on their transcontinental route.
In a broader context, China demonstrates the responsibility of a great power in the matter of global migratory bird routes, creating an increasingly robust network of international cooperation.
In China, the largest system of wetland protection in Asia has been established: 2,200 natural wetland areas, 82 wetlands of international importance, 80 wetlands of national importance, and 22 international cities with wetlands. The total area of wetlands across the country consistently exceeds 800 million mu (over 53 million hectares).
Sam Li Weimin is now a member of the volunteer group “Blue Guardians” for the protection of swan geese. Together with more than 600 volunteers, he monitors the recovery of wintering grounds and the peace of the birds.
“Every year I see how the swans arrive and how they leave,” said Li Weimin. “Even if I don’t see Dabai, it seems to me that I am fulfilling our agreement with him.” -0-
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