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Updated Monday, January 7, 2008 0:00 am TWN, By David Ting, Special to The China Post



	Tour buses must use “clean fuel” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (David Ting, Special to The China Post) More Photos (3)

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Environmental awareness keeps Jiuzhaigou a ‘fairyland’

Jiuzhaigou means “valley of nine villages.” There are three valleys (gou) and nine villages (zhai) in Jiuzhaigou, but only three villages are open to tourists. Jiuzhaigou had been unknown to the outside world until 1972, when this Shangri-la — which is indeed a mystic “shiwai taoyuan” (世外桃源) — was discovered. It was made a national park in 1982. In 1992, the United Nations declared it a World Heritage Site. The region is under the jurisdiction of Aba Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture (阿埤藏羌自治州) which is rich in tourism resources yet to be tapped.

But the local authorities were in no hurry to strike gold, telling the 200 visitors at a gala dinner that environment comes before development. This kind of rude awakening is paying off, and it is the reason Jiuzhaigou, two decades after its opening to tourists, is able to maintain its pristine beauty without being contaminated by the intrusion of commercialism. The vast, 600-square-km national park is squeaky clean, from boardwalks (栈道) to restrooms, without littering of any kind. The air is fresh and the sky is blue, thanks to the effective enforcement of rules that forbid the use of polluting energy.

This Shangri-la was an economic backwater before its discovery in the 1970s. Now, it is rising out of poverty thanks to booming tourism. Xiaotang, our tour guide, said she plans to buy a house in Chengdu for her parents who were poor peasants eking out a life on farming in the wilderness. Owning a house in the provincial capital was beyond their wildest dreams. It seems that prosperity has finally trickled, albeit slowly, into the remote interior of the mainland, from the wealthy, industrializing coastal regions.

On our bus ride back to Jiuhuang airport, the visitors were inevitably intrigued by the many hairy, cow-like animals grazing in the field. Xiaotang told us they are yaks, or maoniu (牦牛) in Mandarin, which are indispensable for the Tibetan and Qiang people who rely on them for farming, transportation and meat. “Yak is a treasure all over its body,” (全身是宝) she said. It sounded a bit cruel, but it’s true: The animal is the “vessel on high plateau” (高原之舟) for transportation. Its furry skin is good for making tents, coats and shoes, and its meat is delicious and nutritious. Yak beef jerky is a famous delicacy sold nationwide. “Yak meat is organic, too,” Xiaotang emphasized, “because yak feeds on ‘winter worms and summer grass’ (冬虫夏草).” Her humor brought the house down. Besides, its horn is best for making beautiful combs and other souvenirs. The bone is used as an ingredient in Chinese medicine.

Yes, the development of organic agriculture in the region is given a great deal of importance when the government is drumming up public support for ecology preservation. “Green” is the catch word, along with “harmony” — harmony between men and nature, harmony between development and environment. We have seen in Jiuzhaigou a “green highway,” “green hotels,” “green cars,” even “green restrooms.” Maybe it’s just hype, but the rising awareness is a good thing if the country, already suffering from irrevocable damage to its environment, and to human health as well, is to have sustainable development.

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