Nestled at the foot of the Badaling section of the Great Wall in the Beijing suburb of Yanqing, the Yeyahu (Wild Duck Lake) National Wetland Park is home to 303 species of birds and 920 different kinds of plants, making it a haven for flora and fauna alike.

Mallards swim on the lake at the Yeyahu National Wetland Park in suburban Beijing. /CFP

Covering part of the Guanting Reservoir, which is surrounded by mudflats, marshlands, rivers and ponds, this natural-artificial wetland park is the largest of its kind in Beijing with an area of 283 hectares, or 700 acres.

A bird's-eye view of the Yeyahu National Wetland Park in suburban Beijing. /CFP

As an important stop-over habitat on the East Asia-Australia Flyway, the wetland lake offers a comfortable environment and ample food for tens of thousands of migratory birds each year.

Though more than 100 kilometers from the downtown area, bird watchers flock here in search of a glimpse of rare or endangered species given the wide variety of wild birds inhabiting the area.

Autumn sees dozens of hectares of golden reeds appear at the Yeyahu National Wetland Park in suburban Beijing. /CFP

Among the most populous migratory birds to temporarily settle at the park are herons, egrets, mallards, great bustards and bean geese. White-head cranes, white storks and whooper swans also use this as a crucial layover. Some of the resident species include sparrows, crows and golden eagles.

The park has also designated a 1,500-square-meter island to raise artificially bred birds and some injured specimens.

The Yeyahu National Wetland Park was newly included in the List of Wetlands of International Importance accredited by the Ramsar Convention this year, becoming the Chinese capital city's first wetland to make the coveted list.