In the wake of its first birdwatching festival in late March, the remote county of Napo in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region has become a magnet for birders anxious to experience the area's rich avian biodiversity.

Napo's bird hides and specialized homestays were fully booked during this year's Qingming Festival holiday, and bird-watching has become recognized as a sustainable means for rural vitalization of the county bordering Vietnam and Yunnan province.

The area's birding boom can be traced to the curiosity and 10-year efforts of Lin Xiuwen. The 72-yearold, a former driver at a forest farm that became the Defu Nature Reserve in 1982, built a successful wholesale business in retirement. In 2016, seeking a change of pace after entrusting the management of his business to his son, Lin began making monthly visits to his daughter and her family in Nanning, the regional capital.

"I found myself with a lot of free time, primarily looking after my grandchildren," Lin told China Daily at his home in the county town of Napo.

It was his daughter's father-in-law who suggested Lin connect with a group of bird photographers that frequented a local park. "He hoped I'd find something to kill my time," Lin said.

Lin did more than just occupy his time. What began as a hobby became a passion that opened up a whole new world.