Black-necked cranes spend winter in the Lhalu Wetland, known as the "lungs of Lhasa." (Photo Source: Lhasa Evening) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- China will spend 310 million yuan (45.41 million U.S. dollars) protecting the wetlands in the Tibet Autonomous Region, the Regional Forestry Bureau said.

    Wetlands in Tibet cover six million hectares, accounting for 10 percent of the country's total wetland area.

    Wetland protection serves as part of the ecological environment preservation project on the Tibet Plateau.

    Tibet has built the Lhalu Wetland into a national-level wetland nature reserve, and has eight region-level wetland nature reserves. It also established three national wetland parks in 2009.

    "Tibet has the largest wetland area in China with various wetland ecosystems, such as lake wetlands and marsh wetlands," said an official of the Wild Animals and Plants Protection Office of the Regional Forestry Bureau.