Published on: 2026-08-19
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
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Nanchang, August 19 /Xinhua/ — At the juncture of summer and autumn, Xiangshan Forest Park in the city of Nanchang (administrative center of Jiangxi Province, Eastern China) enters the active breeding season of herons. Thanks to the favorable ecological environment, “photo studios for herons” have appeared here, becoming a popular attraction for amateur photographers from China and abroad, creating a vivid picture of harmony between humans and birds.
Xiangshan Forest Park, known as an important breeding ground for summer migratory birds in the Poyang Lake area and honored with the title “Heron Kingdom,” annually attracts hundreds of thousands of herons migrating here from Southeast Asia from March to September. At the peak of the season, more than 300,000 individuals of this species inhabit the area.
For more than thirty years, local authorities have been steadily engaged in afforestation and the protection of green spaces, resulting in a significant increase in forest cover. Dense forest stands serve as a natural refuge for herons during nest building and chick rearing. Relying on unique ecological resources, local residents have created specialized “photo studios for herons.” Amateur photographers have the opportunity to capture the entire process of courtship, nest building, and chick rearing by herons. This unique viewpoint for birdwatching attracts many photographers and bird enthusiasts from different countries around the world.
At the same time, the protection of and love for birds has become a universally conscious cause: amateur photographers voluntarily participate in patrolling and protecting the feathered creatures, collectively safeguarding this home for migratory birds.
The picturesque scene in the Xiangshan forest park serves as a vivid embodiment of the ecological protection of migratory birds in the vicinity of Poyang Lake. It should be noted that Poyang Lake is the largest wintering site for migratory birds in Asia and a key node in the global migratory network of birds. Every autumn and winter, more than 700,000 migratory birds arrive here for wintering from the Mongolian Plateau, Siberia, and other regions.
According to available information, an intelligent management system has currently been implemented in the Poyang Lake Nature Reserve. Based on the lakeside stations of the reserve, 43 video monitoring points have been established, providing stable video surveillance coverage and control over key areas, significantly changing the previous concept and methods of patrolling, which relied entirely on human resources.
To reduce the impact of human activity on the habitats of migratory birds in the village of Uchen, a wintering bird town in Yongxiu County, considerable efforts have also been made. On the glass walls of the bird-watching viewing structures, a film with white dots immediately catches the eye, developed to prevent birds from colliding with glass facades. “There is a lot of science behind this film,” said Jin Jiefeng, the responsible secretary of the Poyang Lake Ecological Protection Foundation.
According to him, the distance between the points precisely corresponds to the visual characteristics of birds, and the contrast of black and white colors maximally enhances recognition, while applying the film on the outside helps avoid glare. This does not interfere with the natural lighting of the buildings or the view for visitors, but it allows birds to clearly perceive the presence of an obstacle.
“Migratory birds in the wetlands are an ecological treasure of Poyang Lake; protecting them means safeguarding our shared ecological home,” noted Xu Zhiwen, head of the administration of the Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve.
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