Local governments of the Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture and the
Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, are to
recover the natural landscapes of the Sayram Lake, a state-level
nature reserve, by the year 2008, according to a Xinhua report on
May 15.
Located between the two prefectures of Bortala and Ili, the lake
encompasses an area of 457 square kilometers.?The?fault
basin is at an elevation of 2,073 meters. The lake has a depth of
86 meters.
The lake is a wonderful natural water resource and is surrounded
by lush grasslands. Tucked away in the mountains, it's secluded
and, on occasions, misty. The surrounding snow-capped peaks and the
dragon spruce plants (Picea saperate) on the mountains give a
picture postcard feel to the area. In July and August local
Mongolian and Kazak herds-people gather on the lake-side to hold
their traditional ethnic activities which include horse-racing,
wrestling and lifting sheep while galloping on horse-back.
However, over the past decades, tourist facilities have been
built throughout the area by various investors and the planning and
construction of projects has been uneven. This has damaged the
natural landscape of the area.
Since 2004, the local governments of Ili and Bortala started to
check up on and control the various enterprises in the scenic area.
Now, most of the 40 or so herds families have been relocated in new
residential areas with the historical households being preserved.
Buildings and facilities in good order won't be demolished until
new plans are drawn up while those in poor condition have already
been knocked down. All the small stores, restaurants, vehicle
repair shops and rest rooms along No. 312 state highway have also
been demolished. Meanwhile, local governments have strengthened
their management of current tourist facilities including the hire
of horses and boats to prevent cheating or overcharging.
So far the local government of Bortala has invested 13 million
yuan (US$1.62 million) in the construction of tourist reception
facilities. It has also identified grass and wildlife protection
areas. Local government in Ili went as far as to establish a
special management committee for the planning, construction and
environmental protection of the Guozigou-Sayram tourist zone.
Both the new Sayram tourist zones planned by Ili and Bortala
will be kept a distance from the lake with all the lakeside holiday
resorts being removed after 2008.
(China.org.cn by Li Jingrong and Wang Qian, May 19, 2006)
