Photo taken on Aug. 10, 2009 shows a group of asinus kiangs in the Nature Reserve of the Source of the Three Rivers, northwest China's Qinghai Province. Appraised as the "water tower" for Asia, the areas are located in the hinterland of Qinghai-Tibet plateau and are home to origins of Yangtze River, Yellow River and Lancang River. Covering a total area of 316,000 sq km with an average altitude of 4,000 meters, the areas are habitats for many rare and endangered animal species, including Tibetan antelope, yak and snow leopard. Thanks to the ecological conservation program launched here, the number of lakes and wildlife has increased sharply and the environment has been improved a lot. [Jiang Enyu/Xinhua]

(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2009)