New national parks in Tibet to benefit nature, tourism

China plans to build five national parks in the Tibet autonomous region that collectively have been named after the high-altitude region's nickname: the Earth's third pole.

The Third Pole National Parks are to be part of the nation's growing effort to protect the environment while improving locals' livelihoods by boosting ecotourism on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The five locations encompass areas around Qomolangma, Bome and Medog counties, the Zanda Earth Forest in western Tibet, the Changtang Plateau and Serling Tso, which is Tibet's largest lake, according to Yao Tandong, honorary director of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who spoke with China Daily in an exclusive interview.