Bird watchers flock to Beijing's Central Axis as hobby takes flight

On a crisp morning at the Temple of Heaven, a UNESCO World Heritage Site along Beijing's storied Central Axis, a quiet crowd gathers beneath leafy trees.

While tourists head toward the main altar, a smaller group veers off, binoculars in hand, eagerly scanning the canopy and undergrowth for a different kind of spectacle: the flutter of wings and the flash of feathers that reveal the city's hidden birdlife thriving amid ancient architecture.

Leading the group is Li Qiang, an experienced bird-watcher with decades of fieldwork. As the group ambled along groves and thickets, Li patiently whispered which birds to watch for. Hoopoes strutting through the weedy undergrowth, woodpeckers tapping into bark, and tits darting between branches in search of seeds, he explained vividly.

Bird-watching groups in the Temple of Heaven, or Tiantan Park, date back to 2002, when biologist Gao Wu, a professor at Capital Normal University, mapped the park's first bird census route, a winding transect through broad-leaf groves and wildflower meadows designed to document the avian inhabitants. For over two decades, the tradition endures, with 238 bird species recorded in the park by 2023, according to data submitted by the public.

The park's appeal to birdlife is largely due to its layered greenery. "This planting philosophy has evolved from human-centric aesthetics to fostering genuine biodiversity," Gao says. Shrubs shelter nests, decaying logs provide homes for insects and seed-laden thickets nourish avian visitors, serving as a living tapestry that has earned Tiantan its reputation as Beijing's premier urban birding hot spot.

Once considered a retirees' pastime, bird-watching now captivates China's youth. By the end of 2023, China had approximately 340,000 bird-watching enthusiasts, an increase of about 200,000 over five years. Notably, 66.69 percent of these enthusiasts have participated in organized bird surveys.

Social media has further fueled the bird-watching craze. On Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, or RedNote, searches for "bird-watching gear" have topped 400,000 posts. Enthusiasts also actively share bird photos, sightings and tips across social platforms.