Dropping down to the lower-elevation Sichuan Basin, the homes and villages look the same, but suddenly the fields become immense. Rice paddies predominate, but other crops grow as well. This pastoral landscape is a brilliant tapestry of golds, greens, and browns, splotched with the vivid red and blue blouses of the women working the land. The terraced plots are irregularly shaped to fold into the hillsides and follow the contour of the land. But new trees occupy those spots too steep to farm.
The
human population seems less dense, but the land remains well farmed when
we once again begin to climb into the mountains toward Tangjiahe, the road
following the Qing Chuan (Green River). At about noon, nearly to the reserve,
we reach Gong Nong, a village of 600 to 800 people. Here the Sichuan Forestry
Department and the Tangjiahe Reserve are actively involved in community
development projects to reduce pressure on the reserve. For instance, the
reserve helped build a hydro-power plant here so people do not have to collect
wood for fuel, and has assisted with planting walnut and chestnut trees
both to support the reforestation effort and provide a new cash crop. The
reserve and local villagers also cooperate in beekeeping, an ecologically
friendly enterprise that earns about $30,000 year from selling honey.
The
entrance to the reserve proclaims its status as a model for fledgling
reserves like Qianfoshan. A huge sculpture of a giant panda welcomes guests,
as do the people who live here and staff the protection station. The entrance
fee is posted as 30 RMB (yuan), or nearly $4. About 10,000 people visit
each year, and the reserve staff hopes to increase that number in the
future. A graphic notes that 301 people lived here in 1978, until they
were moved when the reserve was established. These people farmed to support
the logging commune that once stood where reserve headquarters does today.
Most of this reserve had been logged, but forest has returned. John visited
here in 1981 and is pleased at the huge strides the reserve has made since
then.
