Two-and-a-half hours' train or bus journey (¥20) west of Daqing, QIQIHAR, China is one of the northeast's oldest cities, and still a thriving industrial center. Alas, it's more fun to say the city's name aloud than to stay here for more than a day. On arrival, you'll see that the train station still has characters posted reading "Chairman Mao Live Forever!" The only real place of interest is a big park, Longsha Gongyuan (¥2), in the south of town, accessible via the main north-south artery, Longhua Lu, which begins in front of the train station. Buses #1 and #2 ply the route. There's also a small mosque dating from the seventeenth century, located in the maze of alleyways west of Bukui Dajie. To get there head down Longhua Lu until it hits the park at Gongyuan Lu. Near the hospital and PSB office on Gongyuan Lu, turn west into Hefa Hutong, and ask for the qingzhensi.

However, the main reason to come to Qiqihar is to visit the Zhalong Nature Reserve , 30km outside town. This flat, marshy plain abounds in shallow reedy lakes and serves as the summer breeding ground of thousands of species of birds, including white storks, whooper swans, spoonbills, white ibis, and, the star attractions, nine of the world's fifteen species of cranes . Most spectacular of these is the endangered red-crowned crane, a lanky black and white bird, over a metre tall, with a scarlet bald patch. It has long been treasured in the East as a paradigm of elegance - the Japanese call it the Marsh God - and it's a popular symbol of longevity, as birds can live up to sixty years. The birds mate for life, and the female only lays one or two eggs each season, which the male stands guard over. Vociferous defenders of their young, cranes have been known to stab eagles to death with their sharp beaks. The best time to visit the reserve is from April to June, when the migrants have just arrived.

Buses to the reserve (45min; ¥10) leave from Qiqihar's bus station, 1km south down Longhua Lu, on the left, and also from outside the train station. Splendid though the birds are, it can be difficult to fill the time you're obliged to spend in Qiqihar by the bus timetable and a better bet might be to take one of the flat-bottomed boat tours run by CITS, which leave from the reserve entrance. Walking around the reserve, although not forbidden, is not encouraged by the keepers or the murderous swarms of mosquitoes - come prepared. Binoculars are a good idea, too. Dedicated ornithologists might like to spend a few days here, but for most people, an afternoon crouched in the reedbeds is enough.

Visitors to Zhalong have to stay in nearby Qiqihar. The two tourist hotels there are the Hecheng (tel 0452/2722540, fax 2713367; ¥200-300) and the Hubin (tel 0452/2713121 ext 5241; ¥150-200). They're in the same compound at 4 Wenhua Dajie, on the route of trolley bus #15 from the train station. CITS (tel 0452/2713121 ext 5243 or 5390) is in the Hubin Hotel. They can book a tour for you, in addition to selling air tickets for flights to Beijing, Shenyang, Shanghai and elsewhere. Good food can be had at the Hui Min Fan Dian, across the street from the station on the left as you exit, where a bowl of noodles is ¥3. There's a very grotty hostel next door, with doubles from ¥15. Frequent connections out mean you won't get stuck in Qiqihar for a night unless you choose to be.