Armantay, deputy director of the Tianchi Management Committee, said there was a time four years ago when he was not well liked by his fellow Kazakhs.

"I was scolded because I tried to persuade them to move from where their ancestors lived breeding sheep near Tianchi Lake, which is now a renowned tourist attraction on top of a mountain in the Tianshan Range," explained Armantay.

But today he is a most welcome local official among his fellow Kazakh people, who have benefited from their relocation to the foot of the mountain.

The relocation was part of efforts by local authorities to improve the natural environment and to safeguard the water quality for the population in nearby Fukang county downstream of the lake.

Also relocated were 32 businesses, a meteorological observatory and a hydrologic station, said Armantay.

In the 1980s and 1990s, due to rapid development and poor management "tourism services at Tianchi Lake area were a mess -- tourists were complaining, the ecosystem was under strain and safety of cultural heritage sites was threatened", recalled Xinjiang Tourism Administration Chief Inam Nasirdin.

The ecosystem in Xinjiang is fragile -- once destroyed, it will take decades or even longer to recover, he noted.

"We must keep the ecosystem intact to ensure sustainable economic development," he explained.

The relocation and related measures have greatly improved the natural environment near the lake.

Now "both tourists and local herdsmen are happy about the changed face of the Tianchi Lake scenic area", he said.

A 37-year-old Kazahk herdsman named Habik echoed Nasirdin's thoughts, saying his life has changed a great deal since the relocation.

The Habik family is among the 97 herding and farming households that have been relocated since 2006.

"Since I moved from the Lake area to Sangong township four years ago, our living standards have turned better and better," he said.

A father of two boys, Habik admits he was reluctant to give up grazing and turn to a new lifestyle at that time.

In 2006, he invested 60,000 yuan to construct two yurts, each 50 sq m, at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, to offer accommodation for tourists.

Before the herdsmen's family moved in, the local government had already provided water and a power supply, and road.

For each yurt, the herdsmen received a 9,000 yuan subsidy, according to Wang Zhigang, an official of Sangong township.

Habik's yurts, only 100 m from a newly renovated road that leads directly to the Tianchi Lake scenic area, can accommodate about 20 tourists at a time.

As well as accommodation, the Habik family's offerings include meals, singing and dancing shows, Kazakh-style souvenirs, and homemade dairy products.

"For 2006, the first year, it was tough because I didn't know how to run a business like this," he recalled.

A decade ago Habik's annual income was about 10,000 yuan generated through herding cattle and sheep. Now, he can earn as much as 50,000 by running the family inn.

He has bought a big new house in the Fukang county seat where his two sons are in primary school.

"I hope this year will be good for me and my family," Habik says with a smile.

(China Daily May 19, 2009)