Qinghai-Tibet Rail Green Travel Guide
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 07. 9.06
In 1980, 1,059 visitors journeyed to the "roof of the world". The number grew to 140,000 in 2002 and exploded to 1.22 million in 2004. With the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet railway last weekend, predictions put the number of visitors by 2010 at over 5 million. Chinese President Hu Jintao was present for the opening of the railway, emphasizing the importance of protecting the environment:
"Railway workers and passengers traveling on the Qinghai-Tibet railway should consciously treasure waters and mountains as well as grass and woods on the Plateau, and they should help conserve the eco system and environment along the railway."
But can one really hope that under the flood of humanity, the highest and largest plateau on earth--home to many endangered species--will retain its unique natural heritage?
The Chinese government has made an effort at conservation in the construction: 180 million US dollars of the railway's $4.1 billion budget were spent on environmental conservation efforts, including passageways for animals which have migration routes crossing the line. At its highest point, the railway reaches 5072 m (16,640 feet). Workers had to used bottled oxygen during construction and oxygen levels in the train cabins will be regulated due to the thin atmosphere at this elevation. Other measures, such as ultra-violet shielding on train windows and cooling pipes to keep the permafrost cold, and therefore stable, were necessary to overcome the natural obstacles to the project. Over 90% of current visitors to Tibet are domestic travellers, and prices set at approximately 49 US dollars for a hard seat on the 48 hour jouney (102 to 158 for a bunk) will not discourage travel.
One spark of hope is found: while many news outlets are trumpeting the engineering marvels and travel opportunities, the China Daily covered the release of a Green Travel Guide, publicizing efforts of international organizations to decrease the impact of the unstoppable force of progress on the delicate ecosystems penetrated by the iron rails. Distributed by the China office of Conservation International, the guide encourages visitors not to let their urge for a souvenier encourage the trade in products made from endangered species such as the Bengal tiger, snow lotus or the Chiru--a tibetan antelop protected by CITES since 1975, which will be a mascot for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Bloggers, such as Schaefer, have been following the construction. Keep your eyes open for travel blogs now that the railway is open to passengers: let us know if the Green Guide is working.
Via ::Qinghai-Tibet Railway and China Daily print news.
I am sad to see that this railway has been completed and opened. Not for environmental reasons but for human rights reasons. The main purpose of the railway is to change the demographics of Tibet and therefore snuff out any attempts at independence or even autonomy of the indigenous Tibetans. The fact that Tibet is located on the 'roof of the world' has made it difficult to reach by normal transport and a fairly inhospitable place to live because of difficult transport access (lack of everyday goods at reasonable prices). For this reason, this large land area is inhabited by a relatively puny population in comparison with the total number of Han Chinese in China. The Chinese government has promoted the colonisation of Tibet by Han Chinese to make it a majority Han province. These attempts have only been minimally effective because of the inaccesability of Tibet. This railway line has now cleared that obstacle, and it is clear that in the next few years the numbers of Han in Tibet will explode, making the indigenous Tibetans a minority in their own land. And thereby giving China the best 'democratic' excuse for ignoring the demands of the Tibetan people: the majority of the inhabitants of Tibet (which happen to be for some mysterious reason Han Chinese) want to be an integral part of Han China.
What a sad day for the Tibetan culture and center of Buddhism. Now the heart & message of Tibet will have to be maintained and carried forward by the enlightened world at large. It is now safely secured in a place where no trains, guns, or troops can surround or drive it off. The Chinese have harmed their souls for some desolate rocks. True Tibet grows.
the above comment let me very angry.in america,the rail they built to the west part is not be deemed as damage to the culture of the west patr,but to china ,it seems the worst thing in the world.should we stay away from the world's development surge,and stay poor to protect our culture.do you think so. what a full man