( CNN ) -- A tiny black spot approaches from the distance in the gray dawn sky , growing larger as it glides through the icy wind against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains . Drawn to the shrill blast of a whistle , the majestic bird of prey soars in for a perfect landing onto the arm of Mingzhe Zhao , the `` falcon king '' of Ying Tun . In China 's Jilin province , the tiny rural community of Ying Tun -- known here as the `` Falcon Village '' -- the 55-year-old Zhao has , like many of his ancestors , dedicated his entire life to training the fierce feathered creatures . Jilin is one of China 's most isolated provinces . Deep in the northeast , Jilin borders North Korea and Russia . It 's the home of China 's ethnic Manchu , who continue to practice ancient traditions in an effort to preserve their culture . This includes falcon training , which dates to the Qing Dynasty ( 1644-1911 ) , an era when the Manchu ruled the entire country . Like hunting and horse racing , raising falcons -- once a form of leisure and entertainment for royals -- remains an admired practice in the region , considered a show of bravery and man 's conquest over nature . It 's practiced in some form or another by most of the men in Ying Tun , which has about 300 households . Chuanxin Jia , photographer and editor for Chinese magazine `` Jilin Pictorial , '' has visited the Falcon Village on multiple occasions , where he captured some of the images in the gallery above . `` Trained falcons can hunt 10 to 20 pheasants per day , which can be sold for up to RMB 150 ( $ 24 ) each at the local market , '' says Jia . `` This money can be used as extra income by local village families . '' Falconeering is n't just about making money . Ying Tun 's falcon trainers -- locals call them `` Yingbashi '' ( falcon masters ) -- are emotionally attached to their birds . How to train a falcon . Falcons are known for being unruly , says Jia , which makes for an incredibly punishing training process . After capturing a wild falcon from a mountain forest , a master must spend several days in isolation taming it . `` It 's a real battle of willpower , '' says Jia . `` But the relationship between a master and his falcon will be unbreakable when it 's all over . '' Surviving on minimal sleep , masters spend the bulk of their days staring into the falcons ' eyes . Eventually , the bird will tire and grow docile . Next the bird will be taught to circle the skies , understand its new master 's orders and bring back prey . Hunting season lasts primarily during winter months , when masters are n't busy tending to their farms . In the off-season , masters enjoy the company of their falcons , regarding them as regular pets . Once relatively isolated to outside visitors , Ying Tun has grown famous in recent years as more and more photographers and visitors come for the chance to see masters and birds in action . Held annually the first week of January , the area 's Falcon Culture Festival is particularly popular . More than 80 masters perform ; trained falcons demonstrate incredible hunting skills on open snowfields . Traditional Manchu music and dance performances take place during the opening ceremony . Visitors also eat local cuisine , chat with masters and get close to the falcons . As Ying Tun is a fairly small village , visitors are recommended to stay in the nearby city of Jilin , an hour away from Ying Tun by car . Yulou village , Tuchengzi Manchu township , Changyi district , Jilin , China . Photos courtesy of Naihua Zhu , Chengzhi Yang and Chuanxin Jia , photographer and editor of Jilin Pictorial .
In Manchu , a small village keeps alive Jilin province tradition of falcon training . Area is growing popular among tourists . Falcon trainers spend 55 in isolation taming captured birds of prey . Ying Tun , several days , is known as the `` falcon king '' of Ying Tun .