Niaodiaoshan Mountain in Eryuan County, Dali

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Niaodiaoshan (鸟吊山) is located in the western part of Fengyu Bazi (凤羽坝子) in Eryuan County (洱源县), Yunnan Province (云南省). It is the main peak of Luoping Mountain (罗坪山) in the Yunling Mountains (云岭山脉), with an elevation ranging from 1,550 to 3,465 meters. The area belongs to the north subtropical monsoon climate zone, characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons. Due to its elevation differences, Niaodiaoshan has formed various microclimate zones, including cold, cool, and warm types.

Geographic Overview

The mountain’s dramatic elevation change creates a striking vertical climate gradient. Snow blankets the summit year-round, while the mid-mountain is lush with blooming flowers and dense forests. At the foot of the mountain, vast fields of rapeseed stretch in shades of green and gold. This creates the renowned natural spectacle of “four seasons in one mountain, different weather from top to bottom.”

Fengyu Bazi (凤羽坝子), a narrow basin surrounded by mountains on all sides, has long been a fertile and prosperous land. The local people, known for their diligence and resilience, have cultivated bountiful crops and lived in abundance. However, folklore tells of a dark period under the tyranny of the evil local lord Zhao Tusi (赵土司), who exploited the people and abducted women.

One such story tells of a beautiful, hardworking girl named Guihua (桂花) who caught Zhao Tusi’s eye. When she refused to become his concubine, she was imprisoned. Her lover Chunsheng (春生) eventually rescued her, and the couple fled under cover of night. Zhao Tusi’s men chased them to Tianma Mountain (天马山), where, cornered and outnumbered, they hanged themselves. Enraged, Zhao Tusi ordered their bodies burned.

From the flames, a pair of golden phoenixes emerged, soaring over Fengyu Bazi (凤羽坝子) and ascending to Luoping Mountain (罗坪山). Upon reaching the summit, a snowstorm froze them to death. The phoenixes then transformed into colorful clouds — the female drifting north, the male south — which reunited atop the mountain each year during the seventh and eighth lunar months.

During Mid-Autumn Festival, thousands of birds from all directions gather here to mourn the fallen phoenix king. This phenomenon is known among the local Bai people (白族) as “Hundred Birds Paying Tribute to the Phoenix (百鸟朝凤)”, and the mountain became known as Niaodiaoshan (鸟吊山) — “the mountain where birds hang themselves.”

Exploring the Phenomenon

The wonder of Niaodiaoshan has been documented since the Tang Dynasty in works such as the Manshu (蛮书). In recent years, researchers from the Kunming Institute of Zoology (昆明动物研究所) have investigated this age-old mystery and revealed that Niaodiaoshan lies along a major migratory bird route.

Every year, around the Mid-Autumn Festival, migratory birds from Bird Island in Qinghai Lake (青海湖鸟岛) pass over the region. With its high altitude, dense forests, and favorable climate, Niaodiaoshan serves as an ideal stopover during their journey south.

However, in autumn — the rainy season in Dali (大理) — the region experiences frequent fog and cloud cover. At night, when birds navigate using moonlight and starlight, the obscured sky can cause them to lose their way. If a bonfire is lit on the eastern slope of Niaodiaoshan’s summit, birds are drawn toward the flames by instinct.

As a result, they deviate from their migratory path, flying into the glowing mountain ridge, circling above the light, and sometimes crashing into rocks or vegetation — even diving into the fire itself. This tragic yet awe-inspiring event is seen by locals as a “sacrificial tribute to the Phoenix King (鸟王凤凰)”, giving rise to the mystical spectacle of birds “offering themselves in fire.”