The third China Dalian (Lushun) International Bird-Watching Festival will be held on the third Friday of October 2017, the organizers announced on Wednesday in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning province.

"We hope bird-watchers from other countries and regions can mark this date on their new year plan," said Yi Qingtao, Party secretary of the CPC Lushunkou District Committee of Dalian.

Located in the southernmost tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, Lushunkou District is a well-known site for bird-watching.

Every autumn, tens of millions of migrating birds stop here for a rest before they fly south across the Bohai Sea.

Statistics show that more than 300 kinds of birds could be discovered in Lushunkou every year, including 39 kinds of raptor such as the greater spotted eagle, white-tailed sea eagle and bearded vulture.

The festival is sponsored by the State Forestry Administration and Dalian Municipal Government. It will be undertaken by Lushunkou District Government, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, and Dalian Wildlife Conservation Society.

"More people in China are becoming interested in discovering birds in nature. By hosting bird-watching competitions, local residents in Lushunkouare are becoming more aware of the importance of environmental protection and green development," said Yi.