Baiyun Mountain Mingchun Valley

Baiyun Mountain Mingchun Valley

“Mingchun Valley” is currently the largest natural birdcage in China, covering an area of 56,000 square meters, making it the country’s biggest natural-style aviary. Constructed in 1989 with an investment of 5 million RMB from the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government, it is situated in the Dishuiyan Valley between “Tian Nan Yi Feng” (the First Peak Under Heaven) and “Jiu Long Quan” (Nine Dragon Spring) on Baiyun Mountain. Mingchun Valley is characterized by its superior geographical environment, fascinating and entertaining bird training performances, a wide variety of bird species, and the unique ambiance of birdsong echoing through the serene valley. At the suggestion of Mr. Ou Chu, then Mayor of Guangzhou, it was named “Mingchun Valley,” inspired by the phrase “thus birds sing to herald spring” from Tang Dynasty poet Han Yu’s “Preface to Sending Meng Dongye.” The valley is divided into six sections: the Bird Specimen Exhibition Room, the Large Birdcage Scenic Area, the Rare Birds Exhibition Area, the Songbird Hanging Corridor Area, the Trained Bird Performance Area, and the Dishuiyan Natural Scenic Area. The free-range birds include over 150 species such as red-crowned cranes, swans, peacocks, yellow-bellied tragopans, and blue eared pheasants, totaling more than 5,000 birds. Combined with the natural landscape, they create a beautiful three-dimensional bird-watching environment. As a result, it has also been nicknamed the “Bird Paradise.” In 1995, it was recognized by the Development Research Center of the State Council as the “Greatest of China,” hence earning the title of China’s Largest Natural Birdcage.

Since its opening in September 1989, Mingchun Valley has welcomed 3 million visitors, including 200,000 overseas Chinese and foreign guests.

To the right of the Summit Park lies Mingchun Valley, which is currently the largest and the second-largest natural birdcage in Asia, covering an area of 50,000 square meters, built in 1989. Located in the Dishuiyan Valley between “Tian Nan Yi Feng” and “Jiu Long Quan,” it was named “Mingchun Valley” after the phrase “birds sing to herald spring” from Tang Dynasty poet Han Yu’s “Preface to Sending Meng Dongye.” Mingchun Valley is divided into five sections. The Bird Specimen Exhibition Room displays over 130 species and more than 300 specimens, along with some insect specimens from Baiyun Mountain. The specimen display adopts modern garden design techniques, integrating the specimens with the surroundings. These are static bird specimens, but the dynamic, living birds in nature present another wonderful world.

Visitors are greeted by a massive natural birdcage. Spanning 12,500 square meters, it is supported by 18 steel pillars ranging from 10 to 25 meters in height, featuring a suspension net structure with a stainless-steel top and galvanized steel mesh enclosing the area. Inside the cage is a natural valley where over 130 species and 5,000 birds—including red-crowned cranes, swans, peacocks, yellow-bellied tragopans, and blue eared pheasants—are kept, creating a beautiful three-dimensional bird-watching environment. Being inside feels like entering the realm described in the verse “cicadas chirp, the forest grows quieter; birds sing, the mountain grows more serene,” offering a feeling of returning to the mountains and forests.

In the Rare Birds Exhibition Area, visitors can not only admire rare and protected bird species but also see the provincial and municipal birds of various Chinese provinces and cities. Examples include Guangdong Province’s “silver pheasant,” Qiqihar City’s “red-crowned crane,” Shanxi Province’s “blue eared pheasant,” and Sichuan Province’s “red horned pheasant.” Among them, the red-crowned crane, brown eared pheasant, and yellow-bellied tragopan are Class I protected birds in China. A pair of red-crowned cranes was a precious gift to the people of Guangzhou from Qiqihar City during the inauguration ceremony of their air route connection on New Year’s Day 1992.

In the Songbird Hanging Corridor Area, various rare and exotic birds showcase their melodious songs, seemingly welcoming visitors. The bird with a long white eyebrow over its eye is Guangzhou’s city bird, the thrush. Its song is bright, pleasant, clear, smooth, gentle, and melodious—even surpassing the sound of a flute—reminding one of the poetic line “Such music belongs in heaven; how rarely it is heard on earth.” Nearby, several black birds called hill mynas may not look remarkable, but they possess extraordinary talent—they can mimic human speech with striking accuracy.

In the Trained Bird Performance Area, you can enjoy delightful bird performances, including playing basketball, swinging on swings, sliding down slides, spelling boards, mimicking human speech, and money-picking games. Mingchun Valley not only offers mountain scenery, flowing springs, birdsong, and floral fragrance, but also allows you to witness peacocks displaying their feathers, mandarin ducks playing in the water, walking with golden pheasants, strolling like silver pheasants, and the harmony between humans and birds. It’s a return to nature that refreshes the mind and fills one with endless delight. Here, visitors can learn about birds in a relaxed, cheerful, and free environment. Birds are so kind, beautiful, agile, and adorable—how can they not inspire love and protection for our feathered friends?

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