Qinghai's Sanjiangyuan: Bluer water, greener mountains

Returning pastures to nature

To better preserve the grasslands and reduce environmental degradation caused by grazing, local herdsmen have returned their lands to nature and resettled in county urban areas.

"I used to be a herder. I moved out from my pasture because I learned livestock cause damage to the land," recalled 50-year-old Dorje Tsering, a Tibetan herdsman who moved to downtown Yeqing village in Yushu's Zhidoi county around six years ago.

After relocation, Dorje Tsering and his family now receive an annual subsidy of 2,100 yuan ($300) each, paid for by the county government. The family also makes money by picking chongcao, or Chinese caterpillar fungus, every year in May and June, as many other villagers do. Caterpillar fungus is one of the most precious ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine.