China is a great place for bird watching. The country's enormous geographical diversity provides ideal habitats for large numbers of birds. And now an increasing number of birders are visiting the country as members of tour groups.

The range of habitats is vast: Tropical rainforests in the southwestern province of Yunnan; the alpine-like valleys of the eastern Himalaya; endless grasslands, deserts; and the valleys of some of the world's longest rivers.

Although birding as a recreational activity developed in the West in the 20th century, it wasn't introduced to the Chinese mainland until the late 1990s.