(Group photo of executive directors and attendees at the founding ceremony of the Tibet Autonomous Region Outdoor Association)
At 13:30 on October 6, a new chapter in the history of outdoor sports in Tibet was unveiled. With the participation and witness of dozens of leaders, guests, and domestic and international outdoor elites, the founding ceremony of the Tibet Autonomous Region Outdoor Association and the "Around the Himalayas" Outdoor Summit Forum were grandly held in the picturesque Nyalam Wuzhai Scenic Area.
In recent years, the rapid development of global outdoor sports has been evident to all. Unlike traditional sports aimed at competition, outdoor sports are not only a form of physical activity but also a healthy lifestyle and mindset—reflecting a shift in people’s living needs from material to spiritual aspects.
Vast geographical spaces, rich natural landscapes, pristine highland environments, long-standing spiritual traditions, and unique ethnic cultures have endowed Tibet with the core resources of the world’s greatest Himalayan mountain range. The development of outdoor sports here enjoys unparalleled conditions and promising prospects. However, compared to countries with long-established outdoor traditions such as the United States, Japan, and Switzerland, or even emerging outdoor nations like Nepal, Tibet’s outdoor sports are still in their infancy. The establishment of the Tibet Outdoor Association aims precisely to fully promote outdoor culture, advocate outdoor activities, and foster the beautiful vision of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature—thereby driving the rational development, efficient utilization, and sustainable growth of outdoor resources in Tibet and the Around the Himalayas tourism belt.
The Tibet Autonomous Region Outdoor Association is a mass organization with independent legal personality. Following its establishment, the association will carry out a series of foundational projects to cultivate the development of outdoor sports in Tibet, including outdoor training and certification, rescue services, education, events, and environmental conservation initiatives. Since 2010, the association has established Tibet’s first outdoor rafting team, accomplished the first human descent of the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, and led the team beyond Tibet to participate in two large-scale rafting competitions with international participants, achieving commendable results. It has successfully organized three editions of the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon Hiking Festival and will host the fourth hiking event on October 7, actively promoting harmony between humans and nature. The association also pays attention to the development of public welfare and environmental protection efforts, collaborating with the Beijing Apple Charity Foundation to assist in organizing the 2012 Mt. Kailash Public Welfare Mountain Race and contributing to the environmental cleanup of the sacred mountain. Moving forward, the Tibet Outdoor Association will look internationally while remaining rooted locally, with the mission of creating a new Himalayan way of healthy living. It strives to establish Tibet as a world-class outdoor sports paradise and, through a series of outdoor events, contribute wisdom and strength to the sustainable economic development of the Tibetan region.