Sea gulls are always a special symbol of Qingdao. Since the start of November every year, tens of thousands of sea gulls from Siberia and other regions migrate to Qingdao and have a stopover until next April. The recently-launched “Come across Sea Gulls in Qingdao”-First Sea Gull Culture Festival caused a sensation. On the social media, the number of views of videos concerning “sea gulls in the Zhanqiao Pier” has surpassed 900 million.

In November 1994, Qingdao Evening News launched for the first time a campaign to make sea gulls stay in Qingdao, participated by many enthusiastic citizens and drawing multiple public good resources. For the three decades, Qingdao citizens have made sustained efforts to love and conserve birds. As sea gulls are provided with sufficient food and a safe living environment, a rising number of sea gulls gather by the seaside in Qingdao and constitute the spectacular scene, in which tens of thousands of sea gulls flutter. Currently, more than 100,000 sea gulls flock to Qingdao to spend winter every year, including more than 20 new species and many national first-class protected birds. As a result, the biodiversity in Qingdao has greatly improved. (Lu Zi/Jin Tao /Chen Jin)

Harmony between man and sea gulls is seen everywhere in Qingdao. By Yu Hao