During a recent interview, a staff member from the Source Management Office at Three Rivers Source National Park shared a powerful story that showcases the community’s dedication to ecological preservation.
“On a visit to a remote pasture, we stumbled upon a truck filled with garbage. Local herders had collected this waste and pooled their resources to rent the vehicle for proper disposal. When I suggested they could have asked for our help and even considered a reward for their effort, they humbly declined. ‘This is our grassland, our home,’ they said.”
This shift in mindset from “I have to do this” to “I want to do this” highlights how perspective influences action. It raises an important question: how do we align high-level environmental protections with quality development? The answer may lie in that simple exchange.
At the National Conference on Ecological and Environmental Protection, President Xi Jinping emphasized five essential relationships crucial for advancing ecological civilization. Among these is the balance between external constraints and internal motivation. He stressed the importance of establishing “the strictest systems and the tightest rule of law to protect the ecological environment,” while also nurturing a collective societal drive to safeguard our ecosystems.
He further pointed out that “regulations need to be enforced rigorously, and oversight must be empowered.” This approach is vital for effective governance.
In 2017, Qinghai’s Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture established the Sanjiangyuan Ecological Court to oversee environmental resource cases in the area, enhancing penalties for pollution, resource damage, and illegal wildlife hunting. Environmental service stations have also been set up in critical regions. Beyond seeking criminal and economic penalties, these initiatives explore various ecological restoration methods, including replanting, service compensation, and alternative restoration strategies, ensuring accountability for those who pollute or damage the environment.
From May to June of this year, the third round of the Central Ecological and Environmental Protection Inspectors uncovered 28 notable cases during cooperative inspections of river basins and provinces. This evidence demonstrates how a legal framework—spanning legislation, enforcement, and accountability—promotes ecological civilization and establishes solid institutional authority that can be applied universally.
The principle that “everything has a spirit” is a cherished belief among generations of herders, serving as a spiritual motivator for over 10,000 ecological stewards in the Three Rivers Source National Park. In Yushu’s Mado County, a volunteer environmental team actively participates in litter cleanup efforts while educating herders about environmental awareness through their traditional culture. They communicate the importance of valuing life and caring for the environment, advocating for a return to nature’s ideals. Even during the cordyceps harvest season, team members take the time to collect discarded plastic bottles, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to keeping their homeland clean.
The Chinese nation has long held profound respect and love for nature. With a worldview emphasizing harmony between humanity and the environment, alongside sustainable resource usage, Chinese civilization is rich with philosophical insights and experiential wisdom regarding the relationship between people and the natural world. By fully leveraging these exceptional traditions, we can elevate ecological awareness across society and embed ecological values into our actions.
The decisions made at the 20th National Congress’s Third Plenary Session called for speeding up the implementation of mechanisms that affirm “green mountains are as valuable as gold and silver,” and to comprehensively promote a nature conservation system led by national parks. By strategically planning and advancing ecological and environmental protection initiatives with a higher vision and greater momentum, coupled with strong inspections, strict law enforcement, and serious accountability, we can motivate more people to contribute to making our homeland greener and more beautiful. This collective effort will undoubtedly paint a vibrant new picture of a beautiful China, rapidly realizing the vision of a modern society where humans and nature thrive together.
