Chen Yangyang, 32, and his family operate a guesthouse and a bird hide near 80K, the 80-kilometer marker along the 117-km-long Zhamo Highway that runs between Bomi and Metog counties in the Xizang autonomous region.

Bird-watchers from across the country have become a major source of income for the family over the past two years.

Chen charges 100 yuan ($14) per person for a successful sighting of a "highlight bird" at his bird hide near 80K. A highlight bird is one that is most sought after by birders, who are willing to pay to watch it.

"I once reduced the price to 70 yuan for a highlight," he said. "But Metog is still too remote. The influx of bird-watchers, about 300 in 2023, can't support that low-price strategy."

The operational cost of a bird hide is quite high, he said.

Chen has to visit the hide twice a day, in the early morning and late afternoon, to feed mealworms and corn to the visiting birds. "If you forget to feed them for one or two days, they just disappear," he said.

The hide is about 4 km from the guesthouse, and he has to drive.

"The fuel expense is a major cost for me," he said.

Chen knows a place about 30 km from 80K on the way to the county seat of Metog — which has the same name as the county — that would be good to build another bird hide, but the high cost associated with building it isn't worth the risk, he said.

For a one-night stay in one of the 19 rooms in his guesthouse, he charges 160 yuan.

Last year, his family earned more than 70,000 yuan from the visiting birders.

Chen believes that the bird-watching industry is suitable for Metog, a place known for its rich biodiversity, and has the potential to drive local tourism.

He said that the township government has begun to recognize the potential and has sought his advice.

"They hope more local people will engage in the business," he said. "In fact, I also hope so."

Chen said he has tried to persuade some of the locals to build bird hides along the road, but his efforts were in vain, "probably because it's too time-consuming".

Nevertheless, the potential is huge, as there are so many rare bird species in Metog.

"Sooner or later, Metog will become one of the top bird-watching destinations in the country," he said. "We will have a bird-hide economy as large as the one in western Yunnan province."

chenliang@chinadaily.com.cn