Areas around Poyang Lake thrive on bird-watching tourism

Nearly 1,000 white cranes were recently seen flying, foraging, or resting at the Wucheng protection and administration station of the Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve Administration Bureau in east China's Jiangxi Province.

From a distance, visitors used telescopes to watch the cranes on a bird-watching platform that is over 20 meters high.

Photo taken on Nov. 29, 2023 shows visitors in Wucheng, known as the "Migratory Bird Town," also a popular bird-watching destination, in Yongxiu county, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Photo courtesy of the Wucheng protection and administration station)

Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake, is a wetland of international importance and one of the most important wintering sites for migratory birds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.

The best time for bird watching in Poyang Lake is from November to the following March. The Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve, the Poyang Lake Nanji National Wetland Reserve, and Wucheng, known as the "Migratory Bird Town" beside Poyang Lake, have become popular bird-watching destinations.

Located in Yongxiu county, Wucheng lives up to its reputation as the "kingdom of migratory birds," attracting throngs of visitors.

Wucheng has built bird-watching sites, waterside walkways and hotels, wetland parks, ring roads, and other facilities. Official data showed that in the first three quarters of 2023, Wucheng received 754,600 domestic and overseas tourist visits, bringing prosperity to locals through the development of bird-watching tourism.

Photo taken on Nov. 29, 2023 shows migratory birds at the Wucheng protection and administration station of the Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve Administration Bureau in east China's Jiangxi Province. (Photo courtesy of the Wucheng protection and administration station)

"Bird watching is gradually becoming a popular winter recreational activity," said Li Yue, former head of the migratory bird nature reserve administration of Duchang county, Jiangxi.

Li added that the bird-watching boom has boosted the development of local ecotourism, facilitating the construction of facilities like migratory bird monitoring platforms and agritainment facilities.

Yongxiu county has collaborated with over 40 travel agencies and educational tour institutions. Since the beginning of this year, the county has received over 30,000 visits of education tours, generating nearly 5 million yuan ($706,000) in revenue.

Han Zhiyu, deputy head of the Jiangxi provincial department of culture and tourism, said that bird-watching tourism in Poyang Lake has global appeal.

Han added that Jiangxi has introduced premium Poyang Lake eco-tourism routes, plans to develop birding-themed tourism projects, and built China's best bird-watching destination that is also internationally renowned.

Thanks to the effective protection of the wetland environment in areas around Poyang Lake, the number and species of migratory birds wintering here have been rising every year.

So far, about 600,000 birds of 58 species have been recorded in areas around Poyang Lake, according to the latest monitoring data.

Photo taken on Nov. 24, 2023 shows Eurasian spoonbills flying over Poyang Lake in Hukou county, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Photo/Zhang Yu)