Birdwatchers are flocking to China's border river with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to catch a natural spectacle as flocks of wild bird circle over the high tide to find food.
Tidal waves on the Yalu river near Dandong City in northeast China's Liaoning Province, will appear on April 15 and 23.
"On the high tide days, flocks of waterfowl can be seen clearly from the shoal of the river," said Bai Qingquan, an amateur photographer, who often shares tips for birdwatching in Dandong online.
The coastal wetland of the Yalu River is a national reserve founded in 1987. The 108,100-hectare reserve is home to 215,700 wild birds of 70 species, according to 2016 survey figures.
International ornithologists who have traced the migrating birds arriving in the Yalu River area during the spring have found that many birds migrate from Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and Thailand.
Lyu Li, a local strawberry farm owner, said her orchard business has benefitted from birdwatching tourism.
She has worked with tourist agencies to help develop tourist itineraries combining birdwatching sites and fruit picking activities in local orchards.
Nong Haizhong, a local villager, said reports on spotting rare birds in the reserve in 2008 brought birdwatchers and tourists. Local people have since become more interested in protecting the wild animals.
"The birds are auspicious to us. They have brought us fortune," he said.
