Feathered friends bring good fortune to rural residents

Bird-watching, related activities and improved protection are helping to raise living standards. Yang Wanli reports from Beijing with Li Yingqing in Kunming.

Hou Tiguo, a bird hunter turned bird-watching guide, often mocks himself by saying that he was deeply indebted to birds for the first half of his life, so he will spend the rest of his days protecting and preserving them.

The 52-year-old's home, Baihualing, a village in the Gaoligong Mountains in Southwest China's Yunnan province, is renowned for its diverse wild bird population, with more than 520 species seen in the region.

Hou recalled that when he was a teenager in the 1970s, birds were targeted as food. "People were so poor at that time. To have some meat on the dinner table was a luxury, so almost all the children in the village were good at using slingshots," he said.

His life changed in 1989, a decade after the start of the reform and opening-up policy, when a couple hiking through the mountains visited Baihualing and asked for lodgings at Hou's home.

"During their stay, they asked me to be their guide and lead them to good bird-watching spots. Having lived here for 20 years, nothing was more familiar to me than the birds, so I agreed without hesitation. That was the first time I made money from birds without killing them," he said.

In the decades that followed, more bird-watchers visited the village. The trend developed into a profitable business and contributed to improved living standards for many local residents.

As Baihualing's first birdwatching guide, Hou started a project to build areas featuring artificial versions of the habitats wild birds prefer.

Now, instead of chasing the birds, enthusiasts can enjoy their beauty by simply visiting the scenic spots.

The village became a popular destination for bird lovers, and more than 60 people in the settlement make their living as birdwatching guides. Meanwhile, the more than 20 guesthouses bring in a total income of 15 million yuan ($2.3 million) every year.

Hou's guesthouse has hosted visitors from more than 100 countries and regions.

"During the peak season, I serve nearly 100 tourists a day, about the number of passengers on a small plane," he said, adding that his son-in-law is developing an education project to provide young people with opportunities to study and research wild birds.

"By watching birds, young people can get close to nature and learn to love and respect it, which will benefit them in return. This is a truth I've learned over recent decades," he said.