STORY: Guardians of source of China's mother river
SHOOTING TIME: March 18, 2024
DATELINE: March 22, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:25
LOCATION: LHASA, China
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Gyangku Diru glacier
2. various of the team
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Tibetan): RINCHEN GYATSO, Head of environmental protection volunteer team
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Tibetan): RINCHEN GYATSO, Head of environmental protection volunteer team
5. various of Yangtze River

STORYLINE:

Gyangku Diru glacier, located on southwest China's Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, is regarded as the place where the first drop of water of the Yangtze River flows.

To safeguard the headwaters, a volunteer team comprising herders from Machu Township in Amdo County has been set up. 

The team organizes initiatives to clean up riverbeds and discourage illegal activities that harm the local ecosystem.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Tibetan): RINCHEN GYATSO, Head of environmental protection volunteer team
"Today's weather is not so good. Everyone, please be careful on the road."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Tibetan): RINCHEN GYATSO, Head of environmental protection volunteer team
"We patrol five to six times every month, inspecting conditions of wild animals while also maintaining environmental cleanliness. Protecting the source of the Yangtze River is a responsibility passed down from our elder generations."

According to the team, a total of 137 people who trespassed into the protection area have been stopped and persuaded back, and 14 rescue operations have been conducted since the establishment of the team in 2016. 

The Yangtze River is China's longest waterway, running more than 6,300 km through 11 provincial-level regions before flowing into the East China Sea.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lhasa, China.
(XHTV)