With richly colored plumage and slender bodies, the bee-eater has been knwon in China as the "prettiest bird" for its stunning beauty, interesting habits and nimble flying ability. The species has been included in the list of Beneficial National Protected Land Wildlife with Great Economic and Scientific Research Value and in the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species in 2013.

In recent years, the ecological environment of the Wuyuan River in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province has seen continuous improvement. In May 2018, more than 20 bee-eaters were found nesting next to Wuyuan River National Wetland Park. In April 2019, the Haikou municipal government approved the establishment of a protected area of about 8.39 hectares in the lower reaches of the Wuyuan River.

Since 2018, bee-eaters have been visiting this wetland park every summer.

Recently, shutterbugs swarmed into the park to photograph the bee-eaters for the species' breeding season, which runs from May to July.