The Zhalong Nature Reserve Area, almost 17 miles southeast of Qiqihar, was listed as one of the "most important marshes of the world" in 1992. It covers 386 square miles and protects over 260 kinds of birds, more than 120 breeds of waterfowl, as well as other animals, with endangered birds like the red-crowned crane as its most protected species. This nature reserve is a major tourist destination for bird-watching, and its sci­ence and research center is world-famous. The reserve is the natural habitat for 6 of the world's 15 breeds of crane.There are about 500 red-crowned cranes in this area, amount­ing to one-fourth of the total number of this species in the world.