"Have more, you'll recover sooner," said Yuan Xueshun, the owner of the courtyard, as he talked directly to the swans as if they were his own children.

That scene took place in early March, by Swan Lake in Rongcheng city in East China's Shandong Province.

For the past two decades, it has been a daily routine for Yuan to feed swans he has saved from the lake.

The two birds have stayed for more than 10 days at his home, and each has gained more than one kilogram, according to Yuan. "I will send them off after they recover, as usual," said Yuan, who is known as the "Swan Guardian."

"Swans are friends of human beings," Yuan said, "Loving them is loving ourselves!"

Swan Lake in Rongcheng is one of the most important bird sanctuaries along China's eastern coastline. In the early 1990s, the lake was named a State-level natural protection area.

Surrounded by pine trees and reeds, the lake contains a variety of small creatures and seaweed that swans eat. In November, they come to the lake for winter from China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Russia's Siberia. When spring comes, they will leave Rongcheng to mate in northern habitats.

Rongcheng is a hospitable winter resort for some 10,000 birds, including swans, cranes, egrets and wild ducks. Their numbers increase each year.

Once the birds come, Yuan begins his busy days.

In the morning and afternoon, Yuan rides a motorcycle to the lakeside with his binoculars. After observing the swans, he takes those who are wounded to his home for care.

On a late winter night in 2000, Yuan found a swan that could not fly due to an injured leg and carried it home to bandage the area. The bird has lived with Yuan for more than two years and has become part of his family. The swan accompanies him every day, at times to the lake side to meet other swans.

On one of those visits, Yuan noticed that the swan fluttered his wings and tried to fly, but his wounded leg prevented him from picking up enough speed. At that moment, Yuan noticed the swan was in tears.

"Swans are like people. They cry, too," Yuan said.

The swan flapped his wings, appearing to be in pain, and began singing a very sad tune. "It was so touching," Yuan said, petting the swan gently. "I will help him with an artificial limb, making his flying dream come true."

Yuan and the swan have learned to communicate with a variety of words and gestures.

The 47-year-old Yuan said he treats the swans as if they were his children. "Swans understand people," he said.

"In fact, swans are more important to him than the family," said his wife Yao Qing.

Yuan has a special room in his house for photos, tapes and biology books relating to swans, and he has spent more than 100,000 yuan (US$12,100) on swan research.

In order to better communicate with the swans, at night he plays tapes on which he has recorded their sounds. Yuan hopes that his studies can contribute to the country's ornithology research.

Yuan's special passion for swans began when he worked for a fishery company near Swan Lake 20 years ago. Every day, he would visit the birds after work.

In the early 1990s, he quit his job and started his own business repairing home appliances and taking wedding pictures.

In winter, however, he sets aside his business and becomes a full-time swan watcher.

One of the rooms in Yuan's house is named Swan Recovery home, in which he stocks a variety of medicines for injured or sick swans and other birds. After they weigh 9 kilograms, the normal weight of adult swans, he releases them. But first he feeds the swans delicious Chinese dumplings, which is a traditional local marriage custom. He said it is appropriate because he regards their departure in the same way as his own daughter leaving home to get married.

"Goodbye, child, remember to come back next year!" he says to the birds.

In the past two decades, Yuan has helped more than 300 swans. Last winter alone he cared for 16 swans. Another four were saved after the Spring Festival in February.

On the lakeside there is a small area that Yuan maintains as a final resting ground for the swans he has been unable to keep alive. Each swan is positioned on the ground with its head pointing northwest, the direction of the swan's summer home.

On June 6, 2001, Yuan placed two wounded swans, which he had nurtured back to health after six months, in a specially-made wooden box and set out for a long journey to the west.

Yuan flew to Xinjiang with 2,000 yuan (US$242) in traveling fees provided by the Rongcheng municipal government and more than 1,700 yuan (US$200) donated by high and primary school students.

At a send-off ceremony held by the Bayinbuluk Swan Lake in Xinjiang, more than 60 local people of the Mongolian ethnic minority cheered. "Lucky birds are coming back!"

Ethnic Mongolian singers toasted Yuan and performed the ancient Mongolian folk song "The Swan in the Lake."

Yuan and the local people set up a swan-protection friendship tablet by the lake, linking the swan lakes in Rongcheng and Xinjiang together.

Yuan says his biggest wish is that the local government could set up a swan-protection organization to replace his small recovery center.

Swans are attracting more and more visitors to Swan Lake every day, including tourists and photographers from all over the country.

But the environment for swans has deteriorated since more than 20 fish powder plants were set up in nearby villages over the past few years.

"Polluted water from the plants is directly disposed of into the lake," Yuan said, "This poses great hazards to the swan's habitat."

The amount of seaweed in the lake is also decreasing due to pollution. Thus, the swans have turned to wheat for food, which annoys local farmers.

"We are all responsible for protecting swans!" Yuan said. His strenuous efforts have gained recognition from the local municipal government, which has decided to establish a special fund for swan protection.

"Protecting swans is part of my life. I will always love swans!" Yuan said.

(China Daily March 27, 2002)