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As soon as winter begins to loosen its icy grip come March, the coastlines of northern China welcome friends - old and new. Here, the spotted seal pups of the Lianhe River are making their first faltering flipper steps in life, kept company by the whooper swans who've spent the whole winter here, and the waders who return every year to build families on the mudflats. Spring truly is a time when China's northern coast bursts into life!