China.org.cn | July 12, 2024
Southern Metropolis Daily:
Chaka Salt Lake is an iconic tourist destination in northwest China. Praised as "the mirror of the sky," it has attracted numerous tourists. In recent years, cultural and tourism departments in various regions have made efforts to promote their local tourism industries. What measures will the Qinghai government take to explore more ecotourism resources and increase the high-altitude province's popularity? Thank you.
Wu Xiaojun:
Thank you for your attention to Qinghai's ecotourism. Mr. Liu will answer your question.
Liu Tao:
Thank you for your question. Although ecotourism in Qinghai is relatively new in Qinghai, it is gaining momentum. As the Chinese saying goes, "The landscape here is beyond compare." Traveling in Qinghai has gained wide popularity in recent years, especially during the high season from May to October. We welcome all journalists here to come and experience the province's beauty.
Qinghai enjoys abundant tourist resources. Qinghai Lake is called the "sapphire of the plateau." Beautiful Chaka Salt Lake has earned the moniker "the mirror of the sky." National Highway 315 has become an internet sensation, attracting scores of travelers. The scenery there is breathtaking and worth exploring. You can find various types of natural scenery within the province, including snow-capped mountains, green meadows, herds of cows, and flocks of sheep.
Our unique natural resources lay a solid foundation for developing ecotourism in Qinghai, which is also a valuable treasure for the province. Home to Kunlun Mountain and Qilian Mountain, Qinghai is honored as the "origin of mountains" in China, inspiring a series of Chinese myths like the Kunlun Legend and the goddess Queen Mother of the West. Home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang rivers, Qinghai is hailed as the "source of water" in China. As Mr. Wu mentioned, 90 billion cubic meters of water flow from its river sources to lower reaches every year, bringing fresh water to the vast land across the country. Qinghai deserves its reputation as the "origin of mountains" and the "source of waters." With more than 5,000 lakes, Qinghai is also known as one of China's "provinces of a thousand lakes." Over 4,200 rivers crisscross the province, providing the best conditions for local ecotourism. It is our pride to take good care of Qinghai's fauna and flora, our responsibility to protect mountain origins and water sources, and our pursuit to make full use of our ecological advantages.
We will continue to increase our efforts in ecological conservation, build a green foundation, improve on Qinghai's beauty, always put the conservation of Qinghai's lucid waters and lush mountains first as well as strive to promote the construction of a beautiful Qinghai. We will constantly build strong ecological security shields, improve the quality of the eco-environment, and lay a solid foundation for building an international ecotourism destination. Developing ecotourism is not the only goal. Our higher pursuit is to create an international ecotourism destination.
In the future, Qinghai will cultivate a great number of world-class ecotourism resource brands. The Three-River-Source area tracing journey, the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau snow-capped mountain exploration journey and the eco-experience journey through our national parks, that everyone longs for, will become accessible to everyone.
We will leverage the high-quality ecotourism resources to highlight Qinghai’s ecological value and great beauty. We will give full play to the advantages of Qinghai's blue skies, clean lands and clear waters to establish the image of a pure land for ecotourism. We will hold major festivals and events such as the Qinghai Green Development Investment and Trade Fair and the Tour of Qinghai Lake to enhance the international penetration and influence of Qinghai's ecotourism. We will establish and improve the tourism service system to provide everyone with a safe, secure and pleasant Qinghai trip.
I, once again, would like to sincerely invite all our friends to visit Qinghai and have a look around the limpid Qinghai Lake as well as the magnificent and colorful Three-River-Source area. I also hope that you will stay in Qinghai for a while to experience the colorful ethnic customs and taste the rich and diverse delicacies.
I believe that the beautiful Qinghai will become the 'poetry and distant land' of your dreams. Here you will hear more and more beautiful and touching stories.
Thank you.