Big cats and cubs

During this year's meeting of the National People's Congress, the nation's top legislative body, Kong Qingju, an NPC deputy from Qinghai, showed President Xi Jinping photos of snow leopards and Chinese mountain cats. The pictures sparked a surge in awareness and interest.

One of the photos was taken in July last year during a survey conducted by the management office and researchers from Peking University. It showed a Chinese mountain cat and her four cubs playing on a mountain slope.

The other photo, which showed a five-strong snow leopard family, was taken in the park's Qinghai section in May 2018.

Kong said Qinghai's wildlife had been seriously threatened by overgrazing, excessive tourism, illegal mining and the general degradation of vegetation dating back to the 1980s.

Those factors had all contributed to a sharp decline in the number of wild animals seen in the province.

"Thanks to the environmental protection efforts by both the government and local people, the Qilian Mountains are protected by the strictest rules, and they are now seeing expanded green areas, fewer sandstorms and cleaner water," Kong said.

Since the park was established, the mountain environment has been recovering steadily, with the numbers of some endangered species rebounding.

In recent years, infrared cameras have captured images of several animals not seen since the 1990s.

They include snow leopards and Chinese mountain cats, both listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Environmental protection has been prioritized, and the province aims to build two more national parks－the Qinghai Lake National Park and the Kunlun Mountains National Park.

To better promote the idea of environmental protection, many schools are encouraging eco-themed lectures to encourage the younger generation to play a leading role.

In 2012, Bagan Boarding Primary School in Qumarleb county－part of the Three-River-Source National Park－started eco-themed lectures, and students are encouraged to record the changing status of wild animals and plants through paintings and diary entries.

The school has also built a bird-observation station to allow closer examination of various species.

Kalzang Tashi, a teacher, said a summer drama festival has been launched, and the students are invited to present plays related to environmental protection.

"Many students are able to recognize tens of wild animals and plants in the town," he said.

"In addition, they have influenced their family members by the knowledge they've gained at school, and they have also contributed greatly to raising awareness of environmental protection."

Li Hongyang contributed to this story.