China News Service, Yong'an, Fujian, October 6th. Title: She Township's "Forest Fairy" attracts visitors to the mountain village to eat "ecological rice"
Author Lei Chaoliang Huang Zhongquan
During the National Day holiday this year, in the valley of Toyota Village, Qingshui She Nationality Township, Yong'an City, Fujian Province, the sound of camera shutters echoed one after another.
"Look! There's another white pheasant on the left!" There was a soft cry in the forest. Dozens of bird watching enthusiasts held their breaths and focused their cameras on the depths of the flowers. A white pheasant walked out leisurely, its snow-white tail feathers glowing like silver satin in the morning light.
Lu Xiaojuan from the Nanjing Photographers Association bent her waist and kept pressing the shutter button. "The mountains and rivers here are quiet, the birds and animals are lively, and the atmosphere of Shexiang is strong. It is a rare bird watching and photography spot." She said in a recent interview that she has led groups to Toyota Village many times to shoot scenes, and stayed there for several days.
Toyota Village is hidden deep in the hinterland of the national Tianbaoyan Nature Reserve, with an average altitude of about 1,000 meters. The unique alpine ecological environment breeds rich biodiversity.
Data show that 194 species of birds have been recorded in the township, including 3 species of national first-level protected wild birds and 29 species of national second-level protected wild birds. Among them, the white pheasant, known as the "fairy in the forest", is the "bright business card" of Toyota Village. Its population is stable and attracts many photography enthusiasts at home and abroad.
However, Toyota Village, which maintains a good ecology, did not have a wealthy life in the past. Villager Xiong Shengchun said that in the early years, he made a living by farming, chopping bamboo, and selling dried bamboo shoots, and his annual income was only 20,000 to 30,000 yuan (RMB, the same below).
The turning point was due to these agile birds.
Lin Huibi, secretary of the Party branch of Toyota Village, said that adhering to the principle of "ecological priority, minimal interference", the village has explored the integrated development path of "bird watching + cultural tourism" and has now built 32 professional bird watching spots, 8 Shexiang B&Bs, and established a local professional bird guide team of more than 20 people. These bird guides have been familiar with the mountains and forests since they were young. They know the habitat habits and activity tracks of local birds very well, and can lead tourists directly to the best observation points.
Xiong Shengchun is one of them. "Birds like silence by nature and fear disturbance. As bird guides, we not only allow tourists to take pictures of beautiful scenery, but also protect this bird habitat." Today, he runs two ecological bird watching sites, taking into account the operation of B&Bs and the sales of mountain products, with an annual income of more than 100,000 yuan.
"The bird-watching economy has retained popularity and retained young people." Lin Huibi said that the booming new business has attracted a large number of young people from abroad to return to their hometowns to start businesses. Nowadays, the average annual income of villagers can reach 100,000 yuan. Xiong Bin, a young man who returned home, said frankly that in the past, the village was deserted, but now tourists come in waves during holidays. "The village is alive and life is more exciting."
Data shows that Toyota Village will attract more than 5,000 bird-watching enthusiasts in 2025, and the annual output value of the bird-watching industry will reach 6.5 million yuan, driving an increase in sales of catering and local products in the village by more than 40%.
In order to protect the ecological environment, Qingshui She Nationality Township continues to promote infrastructure upgrades. It has built 47 staggered lanes, a 192-meter corrugated guardrail, and upgraded 22 mobile toilets. Nowadays, Toyota Village has smooth roads and clean environment, and its rural appearance and tourist experience have been improved in both directions.
"The continued popularity of the White Pheasant IP has also greatly increased the ecological protection awareness of villagers." Zhong Jiafu, secretary of the Party Committee of Qingshui She Nationality Township, said that now everyone in the village consciously protects forests and birds, and green waters and green mountains have truly become a wealth capital shared by all people. The local area will continue to develop the ecological cultural tourism track and transform high-quality "ecological traffic" into long-term "economic increment".
