Qinghai Lake is located in Northwest China's Qinghai province. Photo taken on Dec 12, 2012. Ecological protection efforts of the past five years have helped expand the area of Qinghai Lake from 4,317.69 square meters in 2008 to 4,354.28 square meters in 2012, equaling six times the area of the famous West Lake in East China's Hangzhou city. Years of wetland conservation efforts by the government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and individuals have paid off in Northwest China's Qinghai province, which now holds the largest share of the country's wetlands. [Xinhua]