BEIJING, July 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president, and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has stressed that the environment concerns the well-being of people in all countries. During his inspections, Xi has always paid great attention to ecosystems, spanning from cities to rural areas, and from enterprises to communities. 

Under the guidance of Xi's thought on ecological civilization, China has been advancing the green transition of its economy over the last decade. Regions across the country are actively promoting the construction of ecological civilization and advancing Chinese modernization featuring harmony between humanity and nature. These efforts are creating a "Beautiful China."

The coming five years will be critical to the building of a "Beautiful China." The Global Times is launching a series of stories to explore the progress of ecological civilization projects that Xi is concerned with, delving into the positive environmental changes occurring now, and offering valuable insights and references for both national and global efforts. From these practical examples, we can see how Xi's thought on ecological civilization is put into practice and further inspires public action.

In this installment, we turn our eyes to the southwest regions of China. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, they have developed the birding site as an eco-friendly business model, showcasing grassroots efforts in China to conceive and practice innovative approaches to ecological conservation that also generate economic benefits.

As a small bird with a bluish beak and chestnut-colored plumage landed on a branch, birdwatchers in the hide quickly swung their cameras to capture the rare moment. The bird, known as the silver-breasted broadbill, is part of wildlife under second class protection in China, rarely seen in the wild. Yet in recent years, it has become a regular visitor to a birding site managed by Piao Hai, a 38-year-old Hani man, in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Southwest China's Yunnan Province.

According to Dr. Zhao Jiangbo from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, birding sites are an innovative model that combines biodiversity conservation with community development. This approach has gained traction across China as a way to balance environmental protection with economic growth, CCTV reported.

Bird protection is an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. The Party and government leaders attach great importance to bird conservation and have issued several critical instructions, emphasizing the importance of "implementation," read an announcement on the website of China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The first volume of selected works of Xi on ecological civilization has been published and is available nationwide. Covering writings from December 2012 to April 2025, the book reaffirms Xi's core philosophy: "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," the Xinhua News Agency reported on July 6.

In practicing this vision, communities are exploring new forms of ecological protection like Piao's birding site that can generate real economic benefits - integrating conservation with livelihood improvement.

From hunters to guardians

Years ago, local residents in Piao's village viewed birds as little more than prey. "Catching birds used to be an everyday thing. We had no concept of protection," Piao told the Global Times.

The shift began in 2019, when the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden introduced the birding site economy to nearby villages. Experts guided villagers to create hospitable environments in areas with high bird activity to attract birds and provide opportunities for photography.

As a lifelong bird lover, Piao volunteered to be the village's pioneer.

Combining his knowledge of bird behavior with expert guidance, he designed a tiered pond system fed by a spring and crafted a waterfall from bamboo. He built simple yet cleverly integrated hides with foldable stools and discreet camera slots. These measures quickly drew a variety of birds to feed, rest, and play.

Today, Piao can list the bird species that frequent his site by heart - over 90 in total. His camera has captured not just the silver-breasted broadbill, but also the endangered eared pitta, as well as other beautiful birds such as the puff-throated babbler and oriental white-eye.

"The Botanical Garden provided us with technical guidance and equipment," Piao said. "They also promoted the birding site through their networks. Experts regularly visit to monitor progress and offer continued support."

Over time, "Piaohai birding site" has become a popular destination. Visitors have come from across China and abroad, including the UK, Germany, and Spain. In 2024 alone, around 3,000 tourists visited the site to photograph birds.

"Most visitors are retirees passionate about bird photography, though some young hobbyists come in groups. Over the holidays, children's research groups visit and experience life in the forest," Piao said.

The number of birdwatchers in China rose from 140,000 in 2018 to 340,000 in 2023, a 142.9 percent increase. About 35 percent of those surveyed began birdwatching purely out of interest, according to a CCTV report in April 2025.

"When I first opened, a British visitor was eager to photograph our local birds. I hadn't even built the proper hide yet, but he insisted. So I rigged up a simple cover for him. Despite the primitive setup, he stayed for two hours before finally rushing out," Piao smiled.

Now prosperous, Piao's family income surpassed 300,000 yuan ($41,857) in 2024. He explained that visitors pay between 100 and 300 yuan depending on the rarity of the birds. The village also benefits from revenue generated by food, lodging, and transportation. Piao also promotes local products like wild honey, tea, and mountain mushrooms to visitors.

"Ten percent of birding site income goes to the village, funding road repairs and community events. This wasn't mandatory - I proposed it. These birds don't belong to me. Sharing the rewards motivates everyone to join in protecting them," Piao added.

Challenges and expansion

Despite the birding site model's popularity, some concerns have surfaced on social media. Critics worry that monetized conservation may disrupt birds' natural behaviors and habitats.

Piao acknowledged there may be some impact but believes the benefits outweigh the risks. "Some people are prejudiced, but once they engage, they often change their minds. We only do small-scale feeding within 20,000 mu (1,333 hectares) of forest - it's far from disrupting bird habitats."

Piao adds, "We also adjust our schedule based on bird habits. For example, we close during the breeding season in May and June. Raising awareness among villagers is the biggest gain. I also share bird pictures with the Garden for research."

As his expertise grows, Piao has inspired more villagers to join. The village now has eight bird site operators, forming a small-scale bird pond economy. Conservation is no longer an abstract idea - it's a shared value.

"Everyone now understands: Protect the birds, and the income keeps coming," Piao said.

Inspired by similar ecological conditions, other parts of Yunnan are exploring birdwatching as an economic driver.

For instance, Yingjiang County in Yunnan is a well-known birdwatching site, home to over 600 bird species - out of China's 1,500 - some of which are endemic. Because it cannot compete purely on visitor numbers without harming its ecosystem, Yingjiang has developed an alternative model. Through bird festivals, collaborations with birding organizations, and viral promotions via social media, it quickly became a birdwatching mecca, according to people.com.cn.

The county encourages farmers to form birdwatching cooperatives. This ensures proper management while allowing locals to retain most of the profits, enhancing their sense of ownership in conservation, said the report.

Yingjiang established hidden observation sites for researchers and birdwatchers. A researcher described it as "a virtuous cycle from hobbyist birdwatching to research-driven protection," Xinhua reported.

Surveys conducted in 2023 found 26 hornbill nests in the reserve's "Hornbill Valley." Between 2022 and 2023, the hornbill population increased by over 20 individuals annually, Xinhua reported.

Exploring various new paths

Economic development should not be achieved at the cost of the ecology. The ecological environment itself is the economy. Protecting the environment is developing productivity, as Xi has said.

As ecological conservation concepts take root across China, various regions are exploring diverse approaches to protect bird habitats. These efforts not only safeguard biodiversity, but also enable more people to immerse themselves in nature, fostering new economic development opportunities.

The Hainan Changjiang Haiwei national wetland park in South China's Hainan Province exemplifies this trend.

Recently, exciting news emerged from the park: An Oriental Darter (Anhinga melanogaster), listed as a endangered species, was spotted there. Confirmed by the Hainan provincial bird records center, this marks the first record of the species in the province, according to people.com.cn on July 11.

Xue Meili, deputy director of the Haiwei wetland park management center and the discoverer of the Oriental Darter, has been on the frontline of wetland development since arriving in Changjiang in 2019.

Over time, she's captured images of rare species, not only filling gaps in Hainan's ornithological research, but also bringing this once-overlooked corner into the national media spotlight. The story of the Haiwei wetland is now reaching more and more people.

More importantly, these efforts are gradually translating into drivers for ecological economic growth. The wetland park has launched educational programs, organizing on-site birdwatching and ecological lectures for schools, while improving infrastructure and planning orderly openings for tourists in the future. Additionally, a variety of cultural and creative products featuring wetland animals, such as fridge magnets, postcards, and tote bags, are being rolled out successively.

"We hope to showcase the beauty of biodiversity, helping more people understand the importance of conservation while bringing tangible benefits to the local area," Xue told the Global Times.

According to Xinhua, in 2024, a total of 207 bird species had been recorded in the Haiwei wetland park, including 41 nationally protected birds and 3 national first-class protected animals. The wetland ecosystem and biodiversity are being effectively protected.

This transformation is not unique. Across the vast expanse of China, more places are using wetlands as platforms to build shared habitats for humans and birds, while exploring new paths to convert ecological advantages into development momentum.

These practices stem from national-level policy support, such as the release of the China Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2023-2030). Moreover, Chinese procuratorial authorities have intensified efforts to combat poaching, enforce wildlife protection laws, and raise public awareness, according to the website of the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

In Piao's village, bird hunting is now a thing of the past. Piao plans to expand his bird sites and develop educational programs about bird species. He believes that as the number of birds grows, so too will the happiness of the people.