--- description: Breaking news and analysis from time.com. Politics, world news, photos, video, tech reviews, health, science, and entertainment news. title: ‘Oriental gem’ makes wetland comeback image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9a2eeb621cc8bdd5/6a4b523844440ddb3511a610/1B376534BB6949ABB2C015A419AE156B.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- # ‘Oriental gem’ makes wetland comeback  _This content was paid for and prepared by China Daily, an official publication of the People's Republic of China. The TIME editorial and advertising departments were not involved in the creation of this content._ Crested ibises are seen in Yangxian in March 2023\. ZHOU ZHIYONG / FOR CHINA DAILY By HOU LIQIANG When only seven wild crested ibises were recorded in Yangxian county, Hanzhong city, Shaanxi province, in 1981, it was thought they were the last of their kind. Immediate action was taken to save these long-legged wading “oriental gems” from extinction, and after years of conservation efforts, the formerly critically endangered bird species has a global population surpassing 10,000, with roughly 6,000 of them in Yangxian. Crested ibises have a striking appearance, standing at around 30 inches, with a white to salmon-pink plumage, and a dense white crest sitting atop the head. This significant achievement in conservation has come about due to the consistent efforts of local authorities to enhance in situ conservation for the species, according to Wang Chao, a senior expert with the Hanzhong Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve. Soon after the discovery of the seven wild crested ibises, local authorities introduced a slew of measures to protect the species, including banning blasting excavation and the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, Wang said. He added that enhanced conservation measures were, and still are, implemented during the breeding season. During this period, observation shelters are established, and continuous 24-hour monitoring is conducted to protect the birds from natural predators and human interference, he said. These measures have significantly contributed to successful natural breeding, thereby directly increasing the population size of the species. Thanks to the improved natural environment, many other endangered bird species once absent from the area, such as the white-tailed eagle and glossy ibis, have now made their appearance in Hanzhong, he said. Currently, the number of bird species that winter in Hanzhong stands at about 400, compared with the previous number of 300 before conservation efforts. Wang said that the ongoing protection of the crested ibis in Yangxian has resulted in not only ecological benefits, but also social and economic gains. The local organic agriculture industry has experienced rapid growth, he said. Wang’s remarks were endorsed by Hua Ying from Caoba village in Yangxian. Crested ibises were a common sight for villagers prior to 1975, before the species gradually vanished from the village, according to the 54-year-old. The bird showed up in the village again in 1993 when seven individuals were observed, he said. Now, the number of crested ibises that live around the village has jumped to roughly 700. “Now we can sometimes even sight crested ibises when sitting at home,” he said. While the restriction measures for crested ibis conservation contributed significantly to the bird’s population recovery, at first, villagers’ living was greatly affected, he said. The avoidance of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, Hua said, not only caused a significant drop in agricultural output, but also resulted in produce with poor color and smaller grains, which in turn led to low market acceptance. Against this backdrop, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration introduced two programs in Yangxian to help villagers benefit economically from crested ibis conservation: one focused on organic rice production, and the other on developing agritourism. After years of practicing green farming without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, many local farms meet organic standards, he said. Hua said that he has witnessed the price of regular local rice rise from 2 yuan (28 cents) per kilo to 6 yuan and even exceed 20 yuan. The villager said that while at first the growing crested ibis population attracted more tourists and provided villagers with income, there was an adverse impact on the birds themselves, as tourists sometimes approached them too closely for photos, disrupting their habitat. In an effort to tackle this issue, Hua founded the Yangxian County Bird Watching Association in 2006\. Beyond being engaged in direct conservation work, the association trained a team of tour guides specifically to facilitate responsible birdwatching. He said these guides ensure that tourists keep a safe distance to avoid disturbing the crested ibises, while also instructing them on how to capture quality photographs. Hua said bird-watching as a business can generate a fair amount of income. While guides are paid for their services, bird-watchers will spend on accommodation and meals. Many of them also buy organic agricultural produce when they leave. The guiding fee for standard birdwatching groups is 200 yuan per day for up to four people and 300 yuan for five or more, Hua said. For group study tours, however, a guide must possess a much broader range of knowledge, including knowledge of Yangxian’s avian wildlife, natural landscapes, culture and history. These groups command a daily rate of 1,200 yuan, he added. He said Yangxian welcomes at least 5,000 people who come to watch crested ibises annually. “This has truly benefited villagers,” he said. ‘Oriental gem’ makes wetland comeback ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/oriental-gem-makes-wetland-comeback/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/oriental-gem-makes-wetland-comeback/"},"headline":"‘Oriental gem’ makes wetland comeback","datePublished":"2026-06-18T14:27:59.515Z","dateModified":"2026-06-09T07:28:04.187Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/oriental-gem-makes-wetland-comeback/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/oriental-gem-makes-wetland-comeback/","name":"‘Oriental gem’ makes wetland comeback"}}]}] ```