cite: Cao Hai Lake

Cao Hai -- the name, pronounced tsow-high, means sea of grass -- already bears the scars of Chinese Communist history. Until the late 1950's, this lake 7,000 feet high in the mountains was a prime habitat for migratory birds.

In recent years, the lake has been host to more than 400 of the birds that are its claim to fame, the black-necked cranes, a 10th of the global population. A total of 184 bird species have been sighted on the lake.