By Sanghee Liu
Poyang Lake: Every year, 700,000 waterbirds representing more than 251 species fly from Russia, Mongolia, Japan and South Korea, as well as northern China to spend winter in paradise.
Paradise for these migratory birds is on Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in all of China, in the eastern province of Jiangxi.
I had come to paradise to seek out just one bird, the critically endangered Siberian white crane. The plight of this bird once prompted Russian president Vladimir Putin to dress up as a bird in a motorised hang glider (an attempt to teach captive young birds from a Siberian sanctuary how to migrate).
Wuxing Farm is on the river-laced south shore of Poyang Lake, an hour’s drive from the provincial capital Nanchang’s airport.
On the farm, a humble-sized 498 mu (33 hectares) lotus field is the winter home for around 1000 - more than a quarter - of the world's remaining 3600 Siberian white cranes.
The cranes, who are one step away from extinction in the wild, winter there from October to March.
But paradise is precariously balanced.
Local farmers were at first excited to see more and more white cranes on their fields since they began to plant lotus in 2012. Lotus root is one of the Siberian crane’s favourite food. The farmers’ excitement turned to dismay when the increasing number of birds began eating through their crops.
In 2017, the farmers decided to replace the lotus with rice.
The implications spread quickly. The endangered cranes would soon be arriving and a major food source was now gone.
Zhou Haiyan, a Jiangxi Television presenter and bird enthusiast and other supporters started a
crowdfunding campaign on WeChat, China's most popular messaging and online payment app.
They raised around 2 million yuan (about $420,000) from wildlife lovers at home and abroad and persuaded the farmers to rent them the lotus fields.
They also bought another 75,000 kg of lotus root from farmers for the migratory birds.
That is how the nation's first privately funded Siberian white crane protection zone was set up. To protect and minimise disruption to these distinguished guest from afar, the farm has set up three camouflaged shelters for bird watchers and photographers.
After a long, long journey of 5,300km from [the Yakutia region of] north eastern Siberia in Russia, the white cranes land at the Wuxing Farm wetlands, where they enjoy their
daily lives by digging and feeding on lotus roots and combing feathers with their
beaks.
They also take flight training on the muddy waters to get ready for their journey home to breed at their birthplace in the Yakutia artic tundra.
In 2012, Russian President Vladimir Putin, donned baggy white overalls and black googles, and took to the skies in a motorized hang glider to help white cranes born in captivity practice migration to wintering sites in Iran and India.
Unfortunately, he was followed by only one young crane. Though mocked by some, Putin’s stunt did create some much needed publicity for these beautiful birds.
Siberian white crane have been hunted almost to extinction, while they are also threatened with the degradation of their natural habitat.
The day I finally step into the Siberian crane protection zone, I am dazzled.
As far as my eyes can see literally, thousands of different kinds of waterbirds — Siberian white cranes, swans, wild geese and ducks, egrets, and others.
Sitting peacefully inside one the camouflaged shelters I immerse myself in the magnificent symphony created by the wonderful creatures dancing above the water.
I imagine the Garden of Eden would be like this.