Expats pose for a group photo at the Broken Bridge during their trip to West Lake in Hangzhou on Oct 20. [Photo by Tan Hung Heng/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

More aquatic birds have made a comeback to West Lake over the years and the mandarin ducks populate the area. Jin also said that the lake's fish and algae have become more abundant, which in turn enriches West Lake's ecological diversity

Jin also warned the group of expats not to feed the wild birds at the lake in order to protect them from being overfed.

"I have seen a lot of lakes in China before, but West Lake is unique for its location, background, and water. Although it's rainy today, it doesn't bother me too much. There are so many good things about this place for me to know and learn about," said Brian Ayugi, a postdoctoral researcher at Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology.

The group was invited to the Xixi National Wetland Park, which is known as the "kidney of Hangzhou" due to its cleansing properties contributed from the abundance of natural resources and water networks, rivers, ponds, moors, swamps and mudflats.

Mutawarira Takudwa from Zimbabwe said he was amazed by the views of plants and birds at Xixi National Wetland Park during the tour. He recommended others to take a tour of the park for rest, pleasure or other exploration purposes.   

According to Shi Xiaodan, the bilingual guide at the park, the Xixi wetland has been minimizing the impact of human activities in wildlife habitats by improving water quality, controlling pollution, and regularly monitoring the environment.

Shi also mentioned that Chaotian Muyang, an ecological protection area, was set up in the park for experts and scholars to research biodiversity.