But today, it boasts the nation's first non-governmental nature reserve which is promising a better standard of living for the inhabitants.

The Xiangbala Nature Reserve was set up by two Tibetans living in the village, in Shangrila County, and Zhaxi Doje, a Tibetan who returned to the village several years ago.

The nature reserve was approved by the Shangrila Non-governmental Nature Reserve Association in February this year.

Zhishi Peichu and Sunnuo Dudan, whose families have lived in the village for generations, and Zhaxi Doje first set up the nature reserve in the immediate area where they lived.

It now covers 10 sq km, and is home to 70 families with 363 people. The locals mainly live on agriculture and grazing livestock.

The reserve came into being with the end of the timber industry, when villagers began developing animal husbandry. Their next plan is to develop environment-friendly tourism and agriculture to increase their incomes. Zhaxi Doje, who now is the chairman of the Shangrila Non-governmental Nature Reserve Association, said that for more than 20 years, locals subsisted largely on timber, which threatened water and soil conservation along the Yangtze River, but the environment had improved a lot since the state banned timber felling in the area several years ago.

The purpose of establishing the association and the nature reserve was to protect the ecological environment and natural resources, said Zhaxi Doje.

Zhoima, a Tibetan woman, said "We were not aware of protecting environment in the past. We killed animals and felled trees at will.

"Later, the hills became barren and there were no animals. We felt lonely without trees and animals and there were many difficulties living here.

"Now however, our living conditions have improved markedly with the establishment of the nature reserve," said Zhoima. "We have access to drinking water and I hope life will be easier for us in the future."

Zhaxi Doje stressed the importance of improving people's living standards in protecting environment. "We have to find other ways other than timber felling to lead people to prosperity."

At present, workers of Zhaxi Doje's association are building roads connecting all villages in the nature reserve and dredging ditches that are used for irrigating farmland.

The nature reserve has attracted visitors from the United States, Australia and Singapore. Some Singaporeans even volunteered to help build roads, drinking water facilities and power supply projects.

(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2002)