Located in the northern part of Jiangxi Province, the Poyang Lake Nature Reserve was set up in 1983 with an area of 22,400 hectares.

The Poyang Lake is the largest of freshwater lakes in China and is called the "Kingdom of White Crane". where a group of overwintering white cranes were discovered in 1981 by Chinese scientists. In winter 1993? 2,896 overwintering white cranes arrived here together with various other kinds of migrants, totalling more than 800, 000 migrants which is the largest cranes group ever occurred in the world.
All the lakes in the Reserve are shallow water and flat—bottomed ones suitable for white cranes to perch. During late autumn and early winter each year, more than 150 species of migrants accounting for some 100,000 birds arrive here. Among them, white cranes, white pillow cranes, white — headed cranes, grey cranes, grass ardeidaes, white storks, swans, redshanks, black mouth gulls and a variety of wild geese and ducks have been found.

The Reserve is also rich in living things with 122 species of fishes, 56 species of molluscs and over 200 species of plants.