Making room for lucid waters at Lugu Lake
The Lugu Lake sight in autumn features glistening lucid waves dotted by scattered ottelia acuminate, with continuous galsang flowers blooming around the lake. The lakeside areas, where buildings used to stand, have now been turned into green belts. And this is resulted from local effort in pushing for ecological resettlement and restoration by northwest Yunnan’s Ninglang in recent years.
In November 2018, the Ninglang county government took special actions to protect the Lugu Lake, relocating the buildings that stand within 80 meters off the waters and providing eco-subsidies to villages involved. At first, it was hard for some villagers to leave their ancestral residences and the lucrative inns. After the relocation, however, they have seen their living conditions improved, with more villagers employed in the tourism sector.
“Since the resettlement, I have lived separated from my livestock and the living conditions improved a lot,” said Tu Mengcai, a local villager who moved last year to a spacious new house from his dilapidated old home. Like many others from the Sanjiacun village, Tu makes a living by rowing the traditional Mosuo boat for tourists. “If the lake is polluted, who will come here for a boat ride?” Tu said relocation aims to protect the Lugu Lake and have a better life. “For generations, we have been living here. If we pollute the lake waters, we’ll be indebted to our sons and daughters, as well as the ancestors.”
Peng Minggui from the Puluo village used to own a house near the lake, and he lived on room rents largely, so he was definitely unwilling to move at the news on relocation. Told about the resettlement scheme by staff members with the Lijiang Lugu Lake Authority, Peng was the first to sign the relocation agreement, and he also urged his neighbors and relatives to move together. Now, Peng is running new business at a designated area, with his income redoubled. “I’m happy that we own more money, while the lake looks more beautiful,” he said.
Following the resettlement, some villagers opened inns and canteens, using their spacious new houses. Cili Pingcuo, secretary of the CPC Luoshuicun villagers’ committee, said tourism has helped raise poor families out of poverty, while inviting in newcomers for business.
In addition to eco-relocation, Yunnan provincial authority also appointed a lake chief for the Lugu area, who has been responsible for fishing bans, construction of the pollutant-colleting network, and more. During the National Day holiday this year, the Lugu Lake scenic area welcomed 59,000 visitors, almost equivalent to the number last year.
Reporting by An Xiaomeng and Zi Qiang (Xinhua); Trans-editing by Duan Jianxin and Wang Shixue