Xinjiang sets up larger glacier protection zone

The melting east branch of the Tian Shan No.1 Glacier in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Aug. 7, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will ban tourists from entering a 22,000 square kilometer glacier protection zone in the Tianshan Mountains.

"Glacier tourism brought in revenue of less than one billion yuan ($152 million) over the past dozen years, but the loss from shrinking glaciers is incalculable," Li Jidong from the regional tourism administration was quoted as saying by Xinhua News Agency.

Li cited tourism, manufacturing, mining, vehicle emissions and grazing as additional reasons - besides climate change - that had caused accelerated glacier retreat in recent decades.

"We will ban glacier tourism by 2020 and propose replacing the existing facilities with holiday resorts so that people can observe glaciers from afar," Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted Li as saying.

In April 2014, the regional government set up a 948 sq km protection zone at Glacier No 1 in the Tianshan Mountains, 120 km from the regional capital of Urumqi. Yet the measure proved ineffective as travelers still visited the zone on their own, without the help of travel agencies.

In a visit to the protection zone, China Daily found seven herdsman families setting up private checkpoints to charge entrance fees. After receiving the money, the herdsmen opened the gate to let tourists drive to the foot of the mountain and climb onto the glacier.

Many tourists leave garbage such as empty bottles and plastic bags after camping on the mountain.

"Climate change is the primary cause of glaciers retreating. However, the influence of tourism, grazing and mining has also exerted an influence on Glacier No 1," said Li Zhongqin, director of the Tianshan Mountains Glacier Observation Station under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.