Wetland · Liaoning
Liao River Estuary and Red Beach
辽河口红海滩
Crimson seepweed flats and reed marshes on the Bohai coast
The Liao River Estuary near Panjin in Liaoning is one of the largest coastal wetlands on the Bohai Sea, where vast reed beds meet tidal flats covered in seepweed that turns deep red in autumn — the “Red Beach”. Protected as a national nature reserve and listed as a Ramsar site, it is a breeding ground for the red-crowned crane and Saunders's gull.
- National nature reserve · 1988
- Ramsar site (Shuangtai Estuary) · 2004
Key facts
Overview
Where the Liao and Daliao (Shuangtaizi) rivers enter Liaodong Bay, the land dissolves into a plain of reed marsh, creeks and tidal mud. Behind the sea wall, reed beds stretch for tens of kilometres — among the largest in the world. On the seaward side, on the saltiest flats, grows a single low plant, seepweed, which is green in early summer and turns crimson from late summer, colouring the tidal flats red to the horizon.
The wetland lies within Panjin, a city built on the Liaohe oilfield; nodding pumpjacks stand among the reeds. The nature reserve protects the cranes, gulls and seals that depend on the estuary.
How the landscape formed
The estuary is a young delta built of silt carried from the Liao basin into the shallow Bohai. Tidal creeks wind through the mudflats, and the tidal range exposes wide flats twice a day. Salinity decides the vegetation: reeds on the fresher land behind the flats, seepweed on the saline mud closest to the sea, and bare mud below. The seepweed's red colour comes from betacyanin pigments that build up as the plant matures and in response to salt.
Highlights
Red Beach
红海滩
Seepweed flats seen from boardwalks and a coastal road; the colour peaks from September to early October.
Sea of reeds
苇海
The reed marshes behind the coast, harvested in winter for paper-making.
Shuangtaizi river mouth
双台子河口
The core of the nature reserve and the Ramsar site.
Erjiegou fishing port
二界沟
An old fishing village at the river mouth with its own seafood traditions.
Plants and wildlife
The estuary is a stop on the East Asian–Australasian flyway and the most southerly breeding area of red-crowned cranes in the wild. It holds one of the main breeding colonies of the vulnerable Saunders's gull, and spotted seals visit the ice and sandbars of Liaodong Bay.
Plants
Seepweed
碱蓬
Suaeda species, a succulent annual that turns the flats red; its young shoots were once famine food.
Common reed
芦苇
Phragmites australis, forming the huge reed beds of Panjin.
Wildlife
Red-crowned crane
丹顶鹤
Breeds in the reed marshes, at the southern limit of its wild breeding range.
Saunders's gull
黑嘴鸥
A small gull that nests on the seepweed flats; Panjin has one of its largest colonies.
Spotted seal
斑海豹
Breeds on the winter sea ice of Liaodong Bay and hauls out on sandbars at the estuary in spring.
Chinese mitten crab
河蟹
Raised in the rice paddies and ponds of Panjin, a local speciality.
History
1970s
Liaohe oilfield developed
Panjin grows as an oil city amid the wetland.
1988
National nature reserve
The Shuangtaizi estuary is protected at national level for its cranes and wetlands.
2004
Ramsar site
The Shuangtai estuary is listed as a wetland of international importance.
Through the seasons
Spring
Migrating shorebirds pass through in April and May; the seepweed sprouts green.
Summer
The reeds grow tall and green, gulls nest on the flats, and the seepweed begins to redden in August.
Autumn
The Red Beach at its deepest colour in September; the reeds turn gold and cranes gather before migrating.
Winter
The sea freezes along the shore, the reeds are harvested and the flats turn brown.
Routes and ways in
Red Beach boardwalks
Boardwalks and a coastal road run along the seepweed flats south-west of Panjin city.
Reed-marsh wetland walk
Paths and towers in the reed beds for watching cranes and water birds.
Practical notes
- Panjin is on the high-speed line between Shenyang and the Bohai coast; the wetlands lie south of the city.
- Stay on boardwalks: the mudflats are soft and tidal, and the seepweed and nests are easily damaged.
- Mosquitoes are heavy in summer; sun and wind are strong on the open flats.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Ramsar Sites Information Service — Ramsar Convention Secretariat (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Panjin Municipal People's Government — Panjin Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Liaoning Provincial People's Government — Liaoning Provincial People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)