Nestled along the border between Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province, Napo County has emerged as a premier destination for China’s fast-growing community of birdwatching enthusiasts, hosting a competitive three-day bird race that drew teams of skilled observers from across the country in late March 2026.
Among the 15 competing teams was “Cranes Above the Clouds,” a four-person squad led by 55-year-old He Jianzhu, a recently retired birding lover based in Kunming, Yunnan. He first fell in love with birdwatching in 2018, after spotting photographers capturing a striking white-throated kingfisher near her residential park. Since then, she has chased avian sightings across China and competed in multiple bird races, jumping at the chance to register for the Napo event.
“Napo is only a few hours’ drive from my home, and it’s long been famous among Chinese birders for its incredible diversity of bird life,” He explained. “Even though I’d never visited before, I knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.” She quickly assembled her team, reuniting with past racing partners Dai Han and Xu Yongbin, a veteran birder, and adding Guo Zhichao, a talented young birder from Hainan Province introduced through a mutual friend. After submitting their application online via the event’s open registration, the group was thrilled to secure one of the limited competitive spots.
Unlike casual birdwatching, which prioritizes slow observation and high-quality wildlife photography, bird races are fast-paced, team-focused competitions. Participants race against the clock to identify and document as many distinct bird species as possible within a fixed geographic boundary and limited time frame—this year’s Napo race spanned three days, from March 26 to 28. He acknowledges that the format is not for everyone: “Many birders shy away from races because the schedule is extremely tight, you often have to team up with people you don’t know well, and the whole experience is physically draining. But for me, there’s nothing like it. In just two or three days, you get to see a huge range of species, explore some of the most stunning wild habitats in the country, and connect with and learn from other experienced enthusiasts.”
Securing a spot at top-tier races like the Napo event is no simple feat. As He noted, competitive events in well-known birding hotspots are oversubscribed, and active participation in community conservation work—such as contributing to public bird sighting reports managed by the Rosefinch Center, the race’s co-organizer—is often a key prerequisite for entry. The Rosefinch Center, a national non-profit dedicated to advancing birdwatching and avian conservation across China, partnered with Napo’s local government to host the race as part of the broader Napo Bird-watching Festival.
The rising popularity of competitive bird races across China over the past decade reflects three key shifts: a dramatic expansion of the domestic birdwatching community, growing public awareness of ecological conservation and outdoor recreational activities, and the role of social media in connecting enthusiasts, coordinating meetups, and sharing rare sightings across regions. For participants like He, events like the Napo bird race are more than just a competition—they are a celebration of China’s rich biodiversity and a shared passion for birdlife among a fast-growing community of observers.