Cedric Zhe Wang
Gallery
The lakeshore grass is the food for yaks. Yak is a source of food, fur, and money for the local Tibetans. The seasonal nomadism of Tibetans is highly dependent on the provisions of these alpine meadows.
The lakeshore grass is the food for yaks. Yak is a source of food, fur, and money for the local Tibetans. The seasonal nomadism of Tibetans is highly dependent on the provisions of these alpine meadows.
Putatso National Park, Shangrila, Yunnan Province, China
Putatso National Park is located in Shangri-La City (Zhongdian), Yunnan Province, China. This area is the outcome of early exploration of China's national park system. The current protection system was established by the Yunnan Provincial Government in 2006. There are well-conserved alpine ecosystems in the park, including fir forests and high-altitude meadows. Local residents are all Tibetans, and they live in Luorong village, which is located in the alpine meadow in the valley. Before the establishment of the national park in 2006, the villagers were mostly engaged in tourism businesses, such as running the two mountain lakes in the area where the horse team toured. After 2006, villages were included in the national park, and private tourism businesses were banned.
I visited Putatso National Park in April 2014 and May 2015. In 2015, I conducted research on the changes in Luorong village after the establishment of the national park system through participant observation.