Volunteer vigilance

The field volunteers faced the most demanding physical task of the weekend, as they were required to match the frantic pace of the contestants. Among them was Li Bin, a 59-year-old birder who drew a highly competitive team from Hubei province.

During the grueling 29-hour event, Li's step counter captured the relentless pursuit: nearly 30,000 steps on May 19, followed by over 25,000 steps on May 20.

"They weren't just walking to find birds," Li said. "At times, they were practically running."

Despite the intense pace, Li's team successfully recorded more than 100 bird species, earning one of the five second-place prizes of 5,000 yuan. The top two teams, winning the first-place prizes of 8,000 yuan each, recorded 110 and 106 species, respectively. Eight teams received third-place prizes of 4,000 yuan each, while the remaining 15 teams were awarded 1,000-yuan fair play consolation prizes.

"This isn't a competition where the winner takes all," Shen explained. "Everyone gets a share of the cash prizes. Essentially, money has just added a little pepper to the game."

Tourism boost

The scenic park has hosted the annual bird race since 2024. According to Shen, the bird race was completely sponsored by Wawushan Investment Co, a State-owned enterprise that manages the Wawu Mountain Scenic Area.

"Unlike most bird races, which are typically organized by local governments or nature reserves for quick bird surveys or public environmental campaigns, the Wawu Mountain Bird Race is designed more as a tourism event," he said.

"The inclusion of cash prizes distinguishes our race from a typical bird race.

"That's why we launched our event on May 19, to make it part of a series of events celebrating China Tourism Day."

At the launch ceremony, He Kaiwei, president of Wawushan Investment Co, said that the scenic area welcomed over one million tourist visits last year, marking a historic first.

According to statistics from the scenic area, about 2.5 percent of tourist visitors were bird-watchers, yet their spending accounted for more than 5 percent of the park's revenue. "I think it was a cautious estimate," Shen said. "While common sightseers usually spend one or two days visiting all of the attractions on Wawu Mountain, bird-watchers often spend 3-5 days exploring the park and would choose to stay in different hotels at various elevations."

Even though the park is a lesser-known tourist attraction compared to other popular sites in Sichuan, such as the World Natural Heritage sites of Jiuzhaigou and Mount Emei, ornithologist Que said that Wawu Mountain is a must-visit place for any birdwatchers from outside of the province. "Among 93 bird species endemic to the country, 46 are distributed in Sichuan and more than 15 can be found at Wawu Mountain," he said.

"To see endemic Chinese birds, including several species of parrotbills, Wawu is a place you can't miss," Que added. "Frankly, I think it is the bird-watchers who have turned the park from a hidden gem to a popular tourist site."

To cater to visiting bird-watchers, He said that the park has introduced several tour packages. These packages include hotel stays at various accommodations within the park and complimentary rides on the park's cableways and shuttle buses. The cheapest three-day package for two people is just 1,020 yuan.

chenliang@chinadaily.com.cn