The Jiaodong Peninsula is located at the southern bank of China's Bohai Bay. In the city of Rongcheng, Shandong Province, at the easternmost section of the peninsula, there is a natural lake, known as "Swan Lake in the East," an ecosystem that serves as the largest wintering habitat for swans in Asia. Every autumn countless flocks of swans visit the lake to winter and from there migrate to the Arctic Pole via the Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

For the swans, the migration can be hard and tragic. They must fly more than 10,000 kilometers and endure many treacherous conditions. In the course of migration, many birds are injured and many of those die. Their final destination is the habitat where they rest and recuperate.

In the United States was conceived a popular story which tells of the daughter of a blacksmith and mechanic. One sunny day while strolling along the bank of a lake, the daughter came upon 20 eggs laid by a bar-headed goose. After some time the girl realized the mother would not return to her nest and she decided to take the eggs home. There she carefully placed the eggs under the warming glow of a light. After several days the eggs hatched and the baby bar-headed geese came into the world.

Hatchling geese are known to bond with the first living thing they see. Thus, as far as the avian youngsters were concerned, the daughter of the blacksmith was their mother.

As they grew, although the girl was able to lead her birds to run across the lawn, she could not teach them to fly. About this the daughter worried, both when awake and in her dreams. Later, when considering the natural habits of birds, she had an idea: She would pilot an airplane to lead them in flight. She asked her father for an airplane and he assembled a small aircraft for her.

Concerned for her safety the father decided to pilot the plane by himself.

However, the birds did not recognize or follow him, and instead slept in their shed.

One day, while it was still and quiet, the daughter climbed aboard the plane, started the engine and soon left the ground. Seeing their adopted mother take to the air, the birds franticly flapped their wings and chased after. She flew the plane freely in the sky, her young birds following.

Passion and Compassion

In a factual story similar to the fictional tale of the blacksmith's daughter, our protagonist, Yuan Xueshun, lives in the town of Chengshanwei in Rongcheng City, Shandong Province. Although Yuan does not train bar-headed geese to fly, he has looked after sick and wounded swans for nearly three decades. Now 48 years old, he is head of a family-operated swan recuperation center.

Yuan Xueshun once operated an electrical appliance maintenance shop in the front courtyard of his house. Now, in his back courtyard, he devotes his labors to his adopted swans.

About 30 years ago, Yuan came across a wounded swan struggling at the side of the lake. He attempted to help, but at Yuan's approach the bird struggled to flee while crying sadly. As Yuan was nearing, the bird called plaintively once more and then dived into the mud. The bird committed suicide and Yuan was brought to tears. It was then he chose to stop his business and devote himself to the care of sick and wounded swans.

Now, each time Yuan passes his back courtyard, a dozen swans may call out for food. Everyday, each of his adopted swans eats 3.5 kilograms of corn kernels and 2.5 kilograms of vegetable leaves. When not eating the swans do what swans do: Take a bath. There is no waste water line in the courtyard, so one bucket at a time Yuan must carry the goose waste to the sewer outside his home, and otherwise clean up dung and garbage. And, Yuan, his wife and their daughters must often visit markets in the vicinity to collect vegetable leaves for their birds.

After a period of tender care, many of the sick and wounded birds recover and return to nature. Those birds with permanent injuries, such as broken tarsi or wings, will remain with Yuan as long as they live. Yuan estimates that he has treated and raised more than 300 swans over the past 27 years.

Swan and Family

Yuan once cared for a favored swan he named Da Bai (Big White), which had sustained a wing injury and could not fly. To help Da Bai regain that ability as soon as possible, Yuan would regularly walk to the lakeside with the bird, where he would encourage him to exercise his wings.

One day the family woke to discover that Da Bai had disappeared. Yuan was worried, fearing the worst, and throughout the day he anxiously awaited and hoped for the swan's return. At dusk, Yuan decided to organize the family to search for the bird. It was then there was a knuckle-like knock at the door and Yuan opened it to see Da Bai, who was pecking at the wooden threshold, announcing his return home. Head held high, the bird strutted into the room like a fashion model on a catwalk, and the entire family roared with laughter.

In October, from the north great numbers of swans flock to Swan Lake in the East, which is situated in Chengshanwei. Yuan's home is located more than 1,000 meters from the lake. When he was young, he would linger by the lakeside to observe the swans. Now, in the morning and again in the evening he patrols the lakeside. Yuan's operations have lately been "modernized" to include one old motorcycle, a telescope, a canteen, a sickle, a flashlight and a pair of waterproof trousers.

Morning and night are the times of day when injured or sick swans are at their weakest. So in the early morning Yuan patrols the lakeside to seek out the frostbitten or hungry. In the evening he returns to patrol and while at the lake, for his swans at home he cuts waterweeds - one of their favorite foods.

Rescuer as Swan

In November 2004, while on patrol Yuan saw an injured swan on the lake. In shock the bird was afraid to go ashore and it cried out plaintively. Yuan jumped into the lake to attempt to reach the swan, but in fear the bird swam toward the deep-water area.

Standing in the water, Yuan attempted to affect the posture of a swan and dialogue with the bird. Swans are known for their intelligence and, gradually, the bird sensed Yuan's good intentions and stopped to consider the man. After about two hours, the bird swam into Yuan's arms.

The bird had a fractured wing and Yuan took it home and set a splint. Concerned that the bird's movement would jar the splint loose, Yuan held the bird in his arms the entire night. When the bird softly cried in pain, Yuan explains that he felt a deep sympathy, and confesses he shed a few tears.

After years of observation, Yuan has come to realize that today there is disharmony between man and wildlife. From the conjunctive Chinese character, "鹅" (collectively meaning goose), the left character of which is "我" (meaning I, a person) and the right character, "鸟" (meaning bird), one can surmise that the original relationship between man and bird was one of harmony.

Yuan is asked: "Considering that when a sparrow is captured it may die of shock, when you hold a swan in your arms, will that bird be frightened?" His answer: "The most important thing is to establish a communication with the bird, gently instilling trust, dispelling its apprehension."

One early morning in winter, Yuan found a swan frozen into the center of the lake. Because the ice was not thick enough to hold his weight when standing, on hands and knees he climbed cautiously across the ice to approach the bird, which had a wounded tarsus. However, because of the bird's trepidation, he first sought to calm the swan before touching it. To do this he attempted to communicate by imitating the cry of mother swan calling out in concern.

The bird relaxed and tucked its head under its wing. Yuan gently stroked the bird. Sensing Yuan's good intentions, the bird shook it wings, held its long neck high and tenderly rubbed against Yuan.

Yuan began to exhale his warm breath on the ice around the swan. After two hours of efforts, the ice was melted and the bird was rescued from the lake.

Only the Best for Yuan's Swans

It gives Yuan's family much pleasure to raise swans, though it is not easy work. Swans have a big appetite. To care for each for as long as two or three years can be a burdensome chore for Yuan's family. In order to build up their strength, Yuan must constantly adjust the individual recipes for his swans. One of the swans would eat radish shreds, rice and apple every day. After his recovery, Da Bai could eat four kilograms of dumplings without a break. To provide financial help to Yuan, the local government and residents often send vegetables and fruit to his house.

Each day after classes, one of Yuan's daughters remains at home to care for the swans while the other daughter helps her farther cut grass at the lake, and the wife cooks a cauldron of rice for the birds. And Yuan and his family are often at the market collecting vegetable leaves. As the number of rescued swans increased, so did the financial burden on Yuan's family. However, Yuan has never wavered in his kind treatment of his birds.

In November 2003, Yuan was awarded 200,000 yuan by the Ford Motor Conservation and Environmental Grants Program. The judges were deeply moved as he briefed the committee on his experience, including standing for an hour in the ice-cold water to communicate with a wounded swan, and budgeting household expenses to devote money to the care of the swans. Naturally, Yuan spent the award funds on rescue and care of more swans.

Winter is approaching and according to meteorological analyses, it will be colder than usual. Thus people are not only concerned for the swans in the courtyard, but also for Yuan in his old house.

(China Pictorial October 28, 2005)