Aug. 28, 2017 -- Over the last few years, the blue sky, white clouds, clear water and sweet air, together with recent greening projects, have served to enhance China's Tibet Autonomous Region reputation as a "paradise on earth." The changes are attributed to the strong efforts made to protect the ecology of this region in southwest China.

Trees up the mountains: barren land changed into parks

"It's very comfortable because everything here is so close to nature." said Zhuoga whilst sitting in a pavilion at the foot of the South Mountain in Lhasa. She came to the South Mountain Park for a short holiday with her family.

The South Mountain is located south of the Potala Palace across the water. Years ago, it was a barren mountain. After the afforestation efforts over the past few years, arbors, shrubs and grass present a spectacular view from the bottom to the top of the mountain. Bees and butterflies fly over bouquets of galsang flowers, and streams purl under wooden bridges.

According to Luosang Duoji, an engineer of the Forestry Bureau of Lhasa, 1.3 million people from 200 organizations have participated in the volunteer tree-planting project since 2012, and after four years of afforestation, the park has now begun its conservation period set to last five years.

He said, the 221.5-hectare afforested area planted with 750,000 nursery stocks can decrease the sediment by around 4000 tons and prevent water and soil loss. Moreover, breakthroughs have been made to allow the planting of trees on mountain land 4000 meters above sea level.

From river to lake: a dam connecting scenic parks attracts wild gulls

"For me, this is not merely where I live. It is more of a place where I can watch the birds every day," said Qiangba, a local resident, while standing on the third dam built over the urban section of the Lhasa River in Lhasa.

The construction of the dam began in March 2013, and stretches 1.04 kilometers from the Sun Island down the Lhasa River. By July 2014, a 581-meter-long dam with 30 apertures already stood over the river.