The Majestic Pass of the Bird Migration Route

The Majestic Pass of the Bird Migration Route stands on the border between Weishan County and Midu County. It is roughly 20 kilometres east of Weishan County Seat along the Weishan-Midu Highway. Sitting at an altitude of 2,700 metres, it is covered with dense forests and boasts a serene environment.

According to the Local Records of Menghua Prefecture compiled during the Kangxi reign: "Longqing Pass lies to the east of the prefecture. It towers above the clouds. To the west is Shatang Sentry, where the county town looks like a cluster of buildings. To the east stands Shifo Sentry, with mountain valleys stretching westward. This pass serves as the strategic thoroughfare connecting eight prefectures."

As early as the Ming and Qing dynasties, Longqing Pass was a critical stronghold on the Ancient Tea-Horse Road. Caravans passed through here every day. The stone surface at the pass has been worn smooth by centuries of horse hooves, dotted with deep hoof prints, vivid evidence of the bustling scenes of the old days.

From September 26 to October 8, 1997, the International Symposium on Bird Banding in Yunnan was held in Weishan. During bird-banding fieldwork at Longqing Pass, Chinese and foreign experts discovered a stone stele inscribed with four large Chinese characters: The Majestic Pass of the Bird Migration Route. Up to now, this is the only existing stone tablet in the world that records the ancient bird migration passage.

Every mid-autumn, tens of thousands of migratory birds travel from high latitudes to warmer low latitudes. They navigate by the sun by day and by the moon and stars at night, following mountain landforms and the Earth’s magnetic field. They fly toward South Asia, Southeast Asia and oceanic islands to escape the bitter northern winter.

Birds have sharp "meteorological vision" to penetrate cloud layers, yet they struggle to predict storms and heavy fog. On foggy nights, they easily lose their way and get lured by artificial lights. From mid-September to mid-October each year, thick fog shrouds the pass, blotting out the moon and stars. Migratory birds flying over this area lose their bearings and are forced to linger. The flocks collide with one another and let out mournful chirps, forming the famous natural wonder known as Bird Hanging Mountain.

In the past, local residents would light bonfires and furnaces to draw the light-attracted birds within reach. They then struck the birds with bamboo poles or trapped them with nets, a local practice called "hunting fog birds".

The unique natural conditions of this pass attracted the attention of the International Ornithologists' Union. During the 1997 symposium, more than 2,500 migratory birds belonging to 88 species were banded. The pass was designated the primary bird-banding station in Yunnan, and annual bird-banding surveys have been carried out here ever since.

Hundreds of media outlets at home and abroad covered this site, making the Majestic Pass of the Bird Migration Route famous across the globe. The People’s Government of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture issued an official regulation: hunting of birds is banned across the prefecture from February to April and from August to October. September is designated as the bird protection month. Six areas centred on this pass have been set aside as permanent no-hunting zones.

As an ecological haven embodying harmony between humanity and nature, the Majestic Pass of the Bird Migration Route has won growing international attention.

Thanks to years of continuous efforts, remarkable progress has been achieved. By 2005, more than 30,000 birds covering over 180 species had been ringed at the station.