Preserving the Green
China steps up its efforts in ecological protection
Earlier this year, a news item attracted people’s attention: Mount Qomolangma, the highest peak in the world with an altitude of 8,844 meters, will be closed indefinitely.
In an official statement from the Mount Qomolangma administrative department in Dingri County of Xigaze City, southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, the Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve below the Rongbuk Monastery at about 5,000 meters above sea level will continue to be open to the public. The section above the monastery, which is the core nature reserve area and includes the Qomolangma Base Camp, will be closed to ordinary tourists and brought under strict protection.
According to Tang Wu, head of the tourism and development committee of Dingri, visitors can still enjoy the magnificent view of the famous mountaintop, as the distance from the monastery to the top of Mount Qomolangma is merely 20 km.
The ban signifies the stepping up of the ecological protection of Mount Qomolangma, home to one of the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems. “We still wel- come travelers to come and appreciate the charm of Mount Qomolangma. At the same time, we want to avoid over exploitation and are trying to maintain its original ecology,” Tang told Beijing Youth Daily.
Protection upgrading
In recent years, an increasing number of tourists and mountaineers have traveled to Mount Qomolangma. According to official statistics, the site received approximately 140,000 visits in 2018.
Unfortunately, a large tourist influx has