Khankay Reserve
Khankai Reserve in Primorsky Krai
Hanka Lake is the largest freshwater reservoir in Primorye and the Far East, the sixth largest water mirror lake in Russia.
There are other merits in this lake - it is rightfully considered the most "fish" and "bird" reservoir in the region, occupying an important place in the freshwater ecosystem;
For the sake of preserving the unique nature of the lake, an international Russian-Chinese reserve "Khankaisky" was created on several sites and adjacent territory.
Due to the geographical location and richness of nature in 1990, the Khankay State Nature Reserve was created on the shores of the lake, which included part of the water area, as well as floodplain, floating and delta lakes of its coasts. The territory of the reserve consists of five sites surrounded by a protected zone and located in six administrative districts of the Primorsky Territory. A little earlier, in 1986, on the Chinese side of the lake, the Shinkai-Hu Reserve was created.
Ecotourism in the Khankai Reserve
On April 25, 1996, the governments of the Russian Federation and the PRC signed an agreement on the creation of an international reserve "Lake Khanka" on the basis of two neighboring environmental organizations. Today, it plays a huge role in the conservation of many species of aquatic and near-water birds and animals, thanks to which in 2005 it was awarded the status of a biosphere reserve of UNESCO.
Fans of wildlife, especially amateur ornithologists, on the banks of the Khanka will open a surprisingly rich for observation and photography bird world
It is also possible for tourists to independently visit certain areas for the purpose of ecological tourism, bird watching and photography for a fee.
> All these and other services can be obtained in the office of the reserve, which is located in the city of Spassk-Dalny.
The animal and plant world of the Lake Khanka Reserve
The animal and plant world of the lake is very diverse. Since 1976, the reservoir has been a wetland of international importance and is included in the international list of the Ramsar Convention.
In the lake basin, there are 74 species of fish, of which more than 20 species belong to commercial ones: sazan, squint, Amur catfish, pike, carp, white amur, snakeheads, carp, Mongolian redoper, etc. A number of fish living in the lake, such as the black Amur, black Amur bream, yellow-cheek, small-scale yellow-oper, Soldatov catfish and Chinese perch (aucha) are listed in the Red Book of Russia.
Lake Khanka is located in the center of the Prikhankai lowland, stretching on the territory of two states - Russia and China. It has a pear-shaped shape with an expansion in the northern part. Most of the water mirror of the lake is located on the territory of Russia, China owns the northern part of Khanka and the adjacent Lake Malaya Khanka.
Of the rare species, Hanka is home to a bi-breathing crawler fish, or anabas, whose najaber organ allows it to breathe air.
Also in the lake there are many species of aquatic invertebrates, among which many are endemic. In the Khanka basin, 6 species of amphibians and 7 species of reptiles are registered, including the Red Book Far Eastern Tortoise (Chinese Trionyx).
The coastal flora of the lake has 620 species of vascular plants, of which: 33 species belong to tree species, 47 to shrubs, 4 to tree vines, 4 to semi-shrubs, 617 to grassy plants.
Lake Khanka - a real paradise for water and near-water birds. A total of 336 species of birds are registered here, of which: 140 species are reliably nesting; 76 species are found in winter; the rest are found during seasonal migrations.
44 species are listed in the Red Book of Russia and 12 species are in the International Red Book, the rarest species are Japanese and Daurian cranes, red-legged ibis, spoon.
