Villagers in Lushui County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, are enjoying a surge in job opportunities and incomes thanks to the booming birdwatching businesses.

Lushui County in Yunnan's Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture is seated in the Grand Canyon of the Nujiang River, one of the most impoverished regions in China which suffers from a lack of arable land and frequent natural disasters.

In recent years, locals have turned to the birdwatching business by harnessing the mountain resources, which has become a sustainable source of family income.

Each morning, Hu Guiyu, a local villager who runs a birdwatching business, would go to the birdwatching site, 100 meters away from his home, to feed the wild species.

"Some birds prefer eating grains, while others like to eat fruit. For sunbirds, they eat flowers. I am planning to upgrade this site to attract more visitors," said Hu.

Hu charges each visitor around 9 U.S. dollars for a whole-day's filming. He also earns extra income by providing catering and logistical services. Thanks to the booming birdwatching business, his family of four, including his wife and two children, was lifted out of poverty in 2014.

So far, the birdwatching business has brought nearly 30,000 U.S. dollars to local villagers. Authorities are now working to upgrade this business model.

"We are now working to integrate the birdwatching business with rural tourism, and promote the program with cultural innovation," said Chu Fanglan, a government official of Lushui's Luzhang Town.

Local authorities also provide regular training sessions for locals to improve expertise, as a further effort to help impoverished households shake off poverty through birdwatching businesses.