Xinhua News Agency, Lhasa, February 14th issue: the “permanent closure of mountains” of Mount Qomolangma scenic spot is false. Many departments will introduce stricter environmental protection measures

Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang qinou

The reporter recently learned from the relevant departments of Tibet autonomous region, tibet Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve (hereinafter referred to as “Mount Qomolangma reserve”) will continue to be opened with conditions. Mountaineering activities that comply with laws and regulations can still be carried out. The news that “Mount Qomolangma scenic spot is permanently closed” is false.

The withdrawal of the tourist base camp from the core area does not affect the viewing of Mount Everest

The Mount Everest protection zone involves four counties of Dingri, neramu, Jilong and Dingjie in Shigatse, Tibet, with a total area of 33800 square kilometers, the five peaks above 8000 meters above sea level in China and the China-Nepal border are all in the region.

From April to October every year, the people in zaxizong township, the closest township to Mount Everest, will set up black tents for accommodation at the foot of Mount Everest, establish a tourist base camp, provide accommodation services and earn income.

Recently, the article claiming that “Everest scenic spot was permanently closed” was circulated on the Internet, saying that the Tingri County Everest administration branch issued an announcement in December 2018, no unit or individual is allowed to enter more than Rongbuk Monastery of the Mount Everest protection zone.

In this regard, GE sang, deputy director of Everest protected area administration, said that this announcement was indeed issued. From 2019, the tourist base camp will retreat to Rongbuk Monastery.

Because more than Rongbuk Monastery of the area is the core area of Mount Everest protection zone.” Gesang said that according to the “Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on nature reserves” (hereinafter referred to as “regulations”), nature reserves are divided into core areas, buffer areas and experimental areas. It is stated in the “regulations” that the core area “prohibits any unit or individual from entering; Except for being approved in accordance with the provisions of Article 27 of these regulations, it is not allowed to enter and engage in scientific research activities”.

In 2018, the functional division of Mount Everest protected area was readjusted and approved by the State Council. After adjustment, the Rongbuk Monastery area belonging to the experimental area can enter into scientific experiments, teaching practice, visiting investigation, tourism and other activities according to the regulations.

“The Mountain and peak can still be clearly seen in the new tourist base camp area, which will not affect the viewing of Mount Everest.” Gesang said.

The position of the mountaineering base camp remains unchanged. There is no problem of large-scale garbage on the North Slope

the mountaineering base camp will be set up every spring in Mount Qomolangma reserve, which is a camping camp for climbers from all countries to climb Mount Qomolangma from the north slope of Tibet, China.

The camp is 5200 meters above sea level, and ordinary tourists who are not allowed to climb the mountain are not allowed to go there. The camp is located in the core area of Everest protected area. According to the regulations, those entering the core area of the national nature reserve shall be approved by the relevant administrative department of the nature reserve of the People’s Government of the province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the central government. Gesang said that mountaineering activities have been approved by the forestry department of Tibet autonomous region, and the position of mountaineering base camp will remain unchanged in 2019.

The reporter had been stationed in the mountaineering base camp for more than ten days from April to May, 2018. During this period, he saw that the Tibet Mountaineering Association set up a special environmental protection liaison officer, and each mountaineering team was assigned two sorting trash bin. The garbage dump of “LUSN” has never been seen, and even scattered water bottles and paper scrap are hard to find on the ground.

For the garbage disposal work, Suonan, the head of the Mountaineering Management Center of Tibet autonomous region, told the reporter at that time that the transition camp below 5800 meters above sea level was coordinated by the Tibet Mountaineering Association, the high altitude area above this is undertaken by Tibet Yarra shampoo adventure company, a commercial mountaineering service agency.

Cary Cobler, the Swiss commercial mountaineering organizer, also took the reporter to visit the toilet of the camp at that time: under the toilet was a big bucket with garbage bags, and every day he could see that these garbage bags were taken away by special personnel. Members of the Peking University mountaineering team who climbed Mount Everest in 2018 told reporters at that time that they were also required to collect excrement and bring it back on the mountain.

According to the relevant person in charge of Tibet Mountaineering Management Department, these excrement will eventually be provided to local farmers and herdsmen for agricultural production, not “lying with Holy ice and snow” transmitted online “.

“From the base camp to the advance camp with an altitude of 6500 meters, there is actually no garbage, because we pick it up every day.” Dunzhu, a villager from tosanlin village, zaxiong township, said. He is a member of the Mount qomolangshan environmental protection brigade led by the sports bureau of Tibet autonomous region. He is responsible for “picking up garbage” below 6500 meters above sea level “.

Liu Zheng, an outdoor writer who climbed Mount Everest from the North Slope in 2016, proved Dunzhu’s observation: “Mount Everest is rubbish, but it is far less exaggerated than the online Upload.” He described to the reporter that garbage could not be seen on the snow surface between 6500 meters above sea level and the peak. Only in some high-altitude camps can we see mountaineering equipment such as oxygen cylinders left by climbers with insufficient physical strength.

Stricter environmental protection measures will be introduced to balance multi-party demand

and these garbage is being gradually cleaned up.

During the spring mountaineering season of 2018, Tibet Mountaineering Management Department carried out three large-scale garbage cleanup in Everest base camp and above areas, collecting 8 tons of domestic garbage, mountaineering garbage and excrement.

This year, cleaning activities will continue. At the same time, Tibet will control the total number of people involved in mountaineering activities to about 300, and for the first time, the bodies of climbers above 8,000 meters above sea level will be processed centrally. The measures for the management of Mount Qomolangma mountaineering garbage will also be planned and introduced.

In addition, the Tingri County government and the Everest reserve administration will further regulate the environmental protection measures for the areas that tourists can reach below 5200 meters above sea level.

At present, there are 85 wildlife protectors in the reserve, with 1,000 ecological posts, all of which are undertaken by local farmers and herdsmen in their spare time for patrol, garbage cleaning and other work; travel garbage needs to be cleaned up on a daily basis and registered on a daily basis. In the future, the Reserve plans to establish a number of full-time management and protection teams with reference to Qiangtang Nature Reserve. Tingri county also plans to test run the electric eco-car to reduce the environmental pollution caused by self-driving vehicles.

“These measures are to better balance the different needs of environmental protection, mass poverty alleviation, mountaineering and national education.” On Tingri county, the county magistrate Wang Wei said.

At present, the industry formed around tourism and mountaineering activities has become one of the main sources of income for the masses in Mount Everest, and many local teenagers have entered Tibet Mountaineering Schools and grown into mountaineering guides. As one of the core regions of the unique plateau, alpine ecosystem and global mountaineering, Mount Everest is also responsible for promoting the development of outdoor sports and carrying out natural education.