Songtsam announces new bird watching tours In Northwest Yunnan

These new tours are in an ideal location for rare bird photography, all taking place at beautiful Songtsam properties.

Songtsam, an award-winning luxury boutique hotel collection and Destination Management Company, located in the Tibet and Yunnan Provinces of China, announced new 6-day bird watching tours that will be available at three of Songtsam’s several properties including Songtsam Lodge Lijiang, Songtsam Lodge Tacheng, and Songtsam Linka Retreat Shangri-La, in Northwest Yunnan, an area famous for the photography of its rare native bird species.

Leading the bird watching tours’ six-day long itinerary is Mr. Jiansheng Peng, Tibet’s most influential nature photographer.

Peng is also Songtsam’s senior eco-tourism expert who is dedicated to promoting the harmonious coexistence between man and nature through natural images and high-quality eco-tourism. Under his guidance, Songtsam guests will have an opportunity to observe, learn about and photograph the many rare birds of Northwest Yunnan, including black-necked cranes, bar-headed geese, black storks and purple water chickens.

Northwest Yunnan is the main habitat for migratory birds in the winter, with its still sunny and mild climate. In Lijiang and Shangri-La, migratory birds arrive every winter. In Heqing Caohai and Lashihai near Lijiang, and the Napa Sea in Shangri-La, visitors will have the unique six-day opportunity to observe and learn about the more than 60 species and hundreds of thousands of migratory birds that stay there during the winter months.

Migratory Birds Live in Harmony with Local Villagers

The Yanggong River flows through Heqing Caohai and nourishes the natural grassy wetland of Lashihai, which is the first nature reserve named after a wetland in Yunnan. A well-protected plateau wetland system, Lashihai is home to more than 50 species of wetland birds! Local villagers have been farming around these lakes for many years, allowing the migratory birds here to live in harmony with both the locals as well as the visitors. This makes Heqing Caohai the most ideal place for close-up photography and observation of various wetland wildlife in China. 

In addition to bird watching, tourists will also be able to visit traditional Tibetan villages that surround the Napa Sea and observe the local way of life with the cattle and horses roaming freely near huge highland barley stacks. 

Rare Species of Birds in Yunnan: 

The Black-necked crane

Regarded as a “sacred bird” by the Tibetans, it is also known as the “Fairy of the Plateau”. Black-necked cranes are the only cranes in the world that grow and breed on the plateau and can fly over Mount Everest, the highest peak of the world! 

Purple Water Chickens

The largest population of purple water chickens in China can be found in the Heqing Caohai Wetland, with a total of more than 500 chickens. Except for their white undertails, the purple water chicken is almost completely blue and purple in color, and they often walk in the shallow water. 

About Songtsam

Songtsam (“Paradise”) is an award-winning luxury collection of hotels, resorts, and tours located in Tibet and Yunnan Provinces, China. Founded in 2000 by Mr. Baima Duoji, a former Tibetan Documentary filmmaker, Songtsam is the only collection of luxury Tibetan-style retreats within the wellness space focusing on the concept of Tibetan meditation by combining physical and spiritual healing together. The 15 unique and sustainable properties offer guests authenticity, within the context of refined design, modern amenities, and unobtrusive service in places of untouched natural beauty and cultural interest. One of the Songtsam Properties is a Virtuoso Preferred Partner and four of the Songtsam Properties are Serandipians Hotel Partners. Songstam welcomes all travelers including families with children, travelers with disabilities and is LGBTQ+ friendly.

About Songtsam Tours

Songtsam Tours provides guests an opportunity to curate their own experiences by combining stays at its different hotels and lodges designed to discover the region’s diverse culture, rich biodiversity, incredible scenic landscapes, and unique living heritage.

About Songtsam Mission

Songtsam’s mission is to inspire their guests with the diverse ethnic groups and cultures of the region and to understand how the local people pursue and understand happiness, bringing Songtsam guests closer to discovering their own Shangri-La. At the same time, Songtsam has a strong commitment to sustainability and the preservation of the essence of Tibetan culture by supporting the economic development of the local communities and the environmental conservation within Tibet and Yunnan. Songtsam was on the 2018, 2019 & 2022 Condé Nast Traveler Gold List. 

For more information about Songtsam visit songtsam.com/en/about.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

U.S. Contact for Songtsam

Florence Li, Director of International Sales and Marketing

E-mail: [email protected]

U.S. Editorial Contact for Songtsam

The Bradford Group

Karen Hoffman/ Jillian Sliwinski

Tel: (212) 447-0027 

E-mail: [email protected]