New national parks in Tibet to benefit nature, tourism

"Tibet is often regarded as a pure land with rich natural resources and wildlife," he said. "But it also has a very fragile ecosystem. Hence it shows great foresight on the part of the government to protect and pass down its natural heritage to future generations by building these national parks."

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau encompasses about 2.6 million square kilometers, most of which lies at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters above sea level, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Hailed as the "Roof of the World" and the "Water Tower of Asia", the plateau contains the headwaters of three major rivers: the Yangtze, the Yellow and the Lancang. For decades, visitors and scientists have flocked to the plateau for its unique wonders or to conduct research ranging from paleontology to climatology.

"The national parks must uphold the principles of preserving and protecting the original ecosystem, while also being a place for the public to learn and appreciate nature and conservation efforts," Zhou said. "They are not tourist sites, and therefore should not be tainted by shortsighted pursuit of profits and overdevelopment."

In 2017, the State Council issued a plan for China to create new national parks and put a unified management system in place by 2020. The National Park Administration was established last year to manage and protect national parks.

Park-related legislation and development plans are also in the works. Last year, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration issued a version of draft laws recommended by experts. The National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, has also been working on national park laws since last year.

Yao said the Third Pole National Parks will set aside specific areas and infrastructure where visitors can enjoy recreational and educational activities without damaging the environment.

"If people experience these natural wonders in responsible ways, it will increase their knowledge and respect for nature, and raise the public's scientific literacy and environmental awareness in the process," he said.

Local residents will be able to find work in the national parks as guides or park rangers that would pay better than traditional farming and herding, given the region's booming tourism economy, Yao said.

Last year, Tibet received a record-breaking 33.68 million visits, a year-on-year increase of 31.5 percent, according to the local tourism bureau. This brought in more than 49 billion yuan ($7.3 billion) in tourism revenue last year, a 29.2 percent year-on-year increase.

"The new national parks will benefit the environment while boosting the local ecotourism economy," Yao said. Local residents also will receive professional training if they wish to work for the parks, thus improving education and scientific literacy in the region, he added.

Still, compared with other countries with lengthy histories of national parks, like the United States, "China is still early to the game, and our scientists are learning the best practices from parks around the world," he said.

"We must take one step at a time, and not rush opening too many national parks without enough preparation and management to support them," Yao added.