Being the largest urban wetland in the world, Lalu Wetland National Nature Preserve, also called Lalu Wetland Nature Reserve, covers 12.2 square kilometers, of which the core area is 6.6 square kilometers in the center of Lhasa City, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

China has 65.94 million hectares of wetlands, ranking first in Asia and fourth in the world. Lalu Wetland Nature Reserve, aka the "lung of Lhasa", is the only wetland inside a city. Lalu Wetland is the main supply source of oxygen for Lhasa. Grass here grows well which can absorb 78,800 tons of carbon dioxide and producing 57,000 tons of Oxygen every year.

At an elevation of 3,645 meters above sea level, it is located in the north of Lhasa. The extensive wet area has served an excellent habitat for local and migratory waterfowl. You may call it the “bird nest” in a real city. Humid climate and lush plants attract swarms of birds and animals. Ruddy shelducks, bar-headed gooses, black-necked cranes, brown-headed gulls, white storks, redshanks, etc. are to be seen in this reserve.

From the beginning of the Lhasa City planning, local government decided to give priority to ecological and environmental protection by abandoning the planning of changing the Lalu superior location and fertile soil of the area into building land and agricultural land. During the construction period of Lalu Wetland National Preserve, local authority closed quarries around the wetland and other sources of pollution.

According to the reserve staff, over 960 million RMB had been invested to protect the wetland since 1999. There is more to be put into use soon. Owning to effective protection, Lalu Wetland Preserve expanded from under 6 square kilometers in the past to 6.6 square kilometers today.