Nanji Islands, located in Pingyang county, Zhejiang province, is listed in the Wetlands of International Importance list, according to the press conference on World Wetlands Day held in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, on Thursday, which is also the second world-class wetland in Zhejiang besides Xixi Wetland.

A bird's-eye view of Nanji Islands. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]

February 2 marks the World Wetlands Day, which is the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. This year's theme of World Wetlands Day is "It's Time for Wetlands Restoration," highlighting the urgent need to prioritize wetland restoration.

Nanji Islands was rated by Chinese National Geography Magazine as one of the most beautiful islands in China and is the earliest UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in China.

With magnificent mountains, fantastic stones, gorgeous beaches, fresh grasses and blue sky, it's reputed as "Blue Meadow", "Fairyland" and "A Kingdom of Shellfish and Algae" for its unique ecological environment, diverse species and abundant shellfish and algae. There are totally 52 islands in the area which are then divided into three scenic areas, Dasha'ao, Sanpanwei and Zhucai Islands.