Wetland parks offer escape from heat in Harbin

HARBIN — While many Chinese cities are still battling the summer heat, citizens in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, are flocking to the riverbank beaches in the Hulan Estuary Wetland Park to enjoy refreshing water activities and outdoor barbecues.

"We've seen a significant increase in tourists recently, entertaining about 5,000 visitors every weekend," said Zhang Huan, operations manager at the park.

Zhang said that reservations for the park's barbecue sites must now be made a day in advance, due to the excessive number of tourists.