The recently "first tourist trip deep into Hoh Xil" has been proved to be unauthorized. 

Some travel agencies have recently announced that they will organize two tour routes deep into the unpopulated area of the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve, attracting widespread public attention. However, this so-called "first tourist trip in Hoh Xil" has been proved to be unauthorized.

Cai Ga, director of the Hoh Xil Natural Reserve Administration, said that tourist activity is currently not allowed in the reserve, including the widely reported "Hoh Xil tour," which has not received authorization.

The "Hoh Xil tour," organized by some travel agencies in Guangdong and Qinghai provinces with a quota of 100 travelers, is claimed to go deep into the unpopulated area in Hoh Xil where the travelers will have the opportunity to see precious wild animals such as the famous Tibetan Antelope. Over 300 curious people have submitted applications.

Although the travelers can't enter the natural reserve, the tours will still be launched as planned. Instead, members will visit the Tibetan Antelope Protection Station and the Tibetan Antelope Museum located by the Qinghai-Tibet Road and open to the public. Applicants no longer interested can get a refund, according to the organizers.

There is no timetable for when ecological tourism in the Hoh Xil Natural Reserve will be opened, said Cai Ga.

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is a destination of mythical proportions that has excited the public imagination for centuries. Known principally as the home of Shangri-La, an ancient earthly paradise, the area is often thought of as a place that has resisted the pressures of modernity.

Tibet's Hoh Xil (Kekexili) nature reserve is an excellent example of this mysticism and boasts some of the Plateau's most stunning -- and equally delicate -- scenery. Although still unknown to many travelers, a recent film by Chinese director Lu Chuan titled "Hoh Xil: Mountain Patrol" has aroused curiosity, especially by people eager to travel along the road less traveled.

(CRIENGLISH.com June 6, 2005)