The administration office of the Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area in Southwest China's Sichuan Province has announced the shutdown of the scenic area from December 1st to March 31st, to protect and preserve its natural environment.

 

The manager of the scenic area says starting now, the valley enter "hibernation" for the winter. No visitors will be admitted, for the sake of preserving the virgin forest, limestone fountains, and rich vegetation in the scenic zone.

 

Huanglong Scenic Area was the first national park in China to adopt this "winter hibernation" measure. Since a trial run was carried out in 2001, the forest hibernation has achieved evident positive effects on the ecosystem of the national park. Although such a measure causes a ticket revenue loss of 5 million yuan per year, the national park decided to make sacrifices in the interest of the forest's future.

 

Situated in the northwest of Sichuan Province, Huanglong Valley encompasses snow-capped peaks and the easternmost of all the Chinese glaciers. In addition to its mountainous landscape, Huanglong Valley is also famous for its diverse forest ecosystems, spectacular limestone formations, waterfalls and hot springs. The area also has a significant population of endangered animals, including the giant panda and the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey.

 

The national park was listed as a UNESCO world natural heritage site in 1992.   

 

(CRIENGLISH.com December 1, 2006)