Legal actions await Qinghai national park trespassers

The Three-River-Source National Park in Qinghai province has warned against illegal crossings, saying they harm the environment and pose serious safety risks to trespassers.

The park, which spans more than 190,000 square kilometers in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is home to unique wildlife and plays a crucial role in the region's ecological balance.

Recent reports of unauthorized crossing activities in the park have raised alarms, prompting officials to take action. The park administration has outlined a series of strict measures to prevent further damage to the park's natural resources and to ensure the safety of visitors.

Under the new regulations, anyone attempting to enter the park for crossing activities without prior approval from the management authority will face legal consequences. Offenders causing damage to the environment will be subjected to administrative penalties, and they will be required to restore the damaged areas at their own expense. In the event of significant destruction, offenders would face criminal charges.

The regulations also prohibit the publication of information or images related to the park without approval, targeting the spread of false information or the promotion of unauthorized travel routes that could harm the park's reputation.

Additionally, individuals or organizations responsible for accidents resulting from illegal crossings will be held fully accountable, and the offenders will have to bear any cost incurred by the authorities for any rescue operation.

To further enforce these measures, violators will be placed on a blacklist, and their names will be publicly listed on the park's official website. Authorities have vowed to increase patrols and take swift action against any illegal activities detected in the park.

On March 26, patrol officers intercepted an illegal crossing involving 25 people and 11 vehicles in the Hoh Xil area, a core area of the Three-River-Source National Park, according to Tenzin Tseten, head of the patrol team. The group, from Zhejiang province, had been attempting an adventure through the uninhabited region.

After traveling about 400 to 500 kilometers from Golmud over two days, the group reached an altitude of more than 4,900 meters. By that point, two-thirds of the members were suffering from altitude sickness.

For their safety, authorities escorted them on an 11-hour overnight journey to a lower elevation below 4,000 meters before handing them over to the management bureau in Hoh Xil.

"Many in the group regretted their decision after experiencing altitude sickness and severe weather conditions," Tenzin Tseten said.

Temperatures in Hoh Xil can drop below — 30 C at night during this season. Tenzin Tseten warned that inexperienced tourists who venture into the area without proper preparation face extreme risks, and rescue operations are difficult.