A stream in the mountains and boulders are fleeced by a type of red algae. [Photo by Xu Lin/China Daily]

After taking in the vista for a while, I hiked. I made a snowman. The area also has a history.

The Communist Party of China's Red Army trekked over five snowcaps in total－two of which are in the scenic area－during its historic Long March military retreat. The last one was Dagu Snow Mountain, standing at an altitude of 4,728 meters.

In 1936, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and other Communist leaders led the army as they ascended and camped in the Changde Snow Mountain. Local Tibetans named the area's lake the Red Army Lake when the fighters left.

"Dagu is both a nature reserve and scenic area. That means we undertake environmental protection and poverty alleviation," the scenic spot's head Wen Dingqing says.

"Economic development is based on ecological protection. The environment comes first in our efforts to strike a balance."

Today, 37 workers form five patrol groups responsible for monitoring wildlife and wildfires.

The scenic area has invested about 39 million yuan ($5.9 million) in such realms of environmental protection as replanting deforested areas.

They've also made it clear to locals that poaching and woodcutting are illegal.

Heishui county's tourism industry brought in about 1.45 billion yuan in 2016, official data shows.

Dagu's tourism has brought prosperity to Heishui, a previously underdeveloped community inhabited by such ethnic groups as Tibetans and Hui.

Endengdorl works for Dagu's patrol station and lives in a village in the scenic area.