Sand is probably the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about beach. However, this is not the case with the Panjin Red Beach in China, which is, actually, red, and not covered in sand at all. Such phenomena is caused by a type of sea weed Sueda. It starts growing during April and May, then stays green during the summer, but starts turning vividly red in autumn.
The Red Beach is located in the biggest wetland and reed marsh in the world, and actually hosts the most completed ecosystem that can be found: the area has become home to more than 260 kinds of birds and 399 kinds of wild animals. You can find the endangered Crown Cranes and Black Beaked Gulls there, which is why the area is even called “home of the cranes”.
In order to keep the whole ecosystem safe, the area was granted state-level protection back in 1988. Even though most of the Red Beach is closed to the public, there still is a small section that’s open for tourists.
