"Sanctuary" for endangered plants on the snow-covered plateau

"Sanctuary" for endangered plants on the snow-covered plateau

"Sanctuary" for endangered plants on the snow-covered plateau "Sanctuary" for endangered plants on the snow-covered plateau

In the Napa Sea in midsummer, the deep blue sky and pure white clouds are reflected in the calm lake
.

The green grass, dotted yak and cattle, herders, and tourists constitute a beautiful picture of harmony between man and nature

The Shangri-La Alpine Botanical Garden in Diqing Prefecture, 3400 meters above sea level, is the best viewing spot in the Napa Sea
.

Fang Zhendong, the person in charge of the botanical garden, has no desire for scenery, but has moved more and more endangered alpine plant species into the botanical garden for shelter year after year

Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is located in the hinterland of the Hengduan Mountains in the southeast foot of the Himalayas.
The Jinsha River, Lancang River and Nujiang River flow concurrently here without converging, forming a peculiar "Three Parallel Rivers" natural geographic landscape
.

These river valleys and high mountains are connected to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the hinterland of Asia in the north, and tropical areas in southern Asia to the south, becoming a channel for the spread of plants from north to south and the intersection of east and west

"Most of Diqing's alpine plant species grow in specific regional environments.
With the intensification and extension of human activities, rare and endemic species are facing threats such as habitat disappearance and habitat change
.

" Fang Zhendong said, since graduating from Yunnan University He has been engaged in the research of alpine plants, establishing a sanctuary for Diqing alpine plants, providing a platform for Chinese and foreign scientific research, and establishing a base for popularizing plant protection knowledge.

Twenty years ago, Fang Zhendong chose to establish the world's first low-latitude and high-altitude alpine botanical garden on the top of the mountain near Napahai in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province
.

This land, the ancient tea-horse road once passed through here; in 1950 for the peaceful liberation of Tibet, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army adhering to the glorious tradition of the Red Army also passed through here; the Yunnan-Tibet Highway paved to support the construction of Tibet also passed by the foot of the mountain

"This is called Zhongdian Prickly Rose.
It is a unique plant of Shangri-La, and it is also a city flower of Shangri-La
.

" In the botanical garden, Fang Zhendong pointed to a plant and told reporters, "This was rescued and transplanted from a reservoir flooded area

After years of hard work, more than 30 species of ferns and more than 1,000 seed plants have been collected and sheltered in the botanical garden.
A large number of plant species grow and multiply here, forming a rare species gene pool
.

Today, thousands of plants have gathered in the botanical garden, but Fang Zhendong always wants to continue to attract new plants.
.
.
He recently led a team in the depths of Pudacuo National Park to start sampling and collecting wild rhododendrons
.

"The plants here are facing various threats.

Not long ago, a theme exhibition on Diqing's image biodiversity was held in Shangri-La Alpine Botanical Garden
.

Fang Zhendong specially invited his friend Peng Jiansheng, an eco-photographer, to explain these works to the visitors

Like Fang Zhendong, in the past 20 years, Peng Jiansheng has traveled through mountains, valleys, forests, and meadows, using his lens to record the breathtaking moments of countless species of biological plants, and using his camera to record the evolution of biodiversity in Diqing
.
"Our Diqing and even China's biodiversity is so rich, so we have to present China's natural beauty to our public, let the public know that there are so many species in China, and then take the initiative to protect them
.
"

Fang Zhendong told reporters that now, the forest coverage rate of Diqing is 76.
58%, 90% of typical ecosystems and 85% of important species are effectively protected
.
"Here is the common homeland of'us' and'them', a life community in which man and nature coexist and prosper together
.
(End)