From the eastern end of the Great Wall, China’s coast spans fourteen thousand five hundred kilometres and more than five thousand years of history. This is the area which shows the greatest contrast between China’s past and its future. Today China’s eastern seaboard is home to seven hundred million people, packed into some of the most dazzling hi-tech cities on earth. Yet these crowded shores remain hugely important for a wealth of wildlife. Now, as ancient traditions mingle with new aspirations, is there any room at all for wildlife on China’s crowded shores?