Recently, the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II) successfully passed the review process at the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi, India. Five nominated sites, including the Snake Island Laotie Mountain National Nature Reserve in Dalian, Liaoning Province, and the Yalu River Estuary in Dandong, Liaoning Province, are an extension of Phase I sanctuaries that were already inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2019.

The Laotie Mountain in Dalian is a preferred route for a large number of raptors to migrate south for the winter, which is known as the “Bird Lodge”. The Snake Island is the only-existing sanctuary for nearly 20,000 Shedao Island pit vipers (or Gloydius shedaoensis, a snake species endemic to China), and is also a breeding ground for rare water birds such as yellow-billed egrets.

The Yalu River Estuary Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Dandong is located at the northern end of the Yellow Sea Ecoregion, where water birds are concentrated. It is the best-preserved area among rare and endangered wildlife sanctuaries. From March to May every year, the Yalu River Estuary Wetland becomes the last stopover and replenishment site for migratory wading birds migrating northward, playing a vital role in their reproduction and continuation.