After more than a month of careful preparation, on June 26, a volunteer team composed of local Minnan entrepreneurs from Quanzhou, students from the Ivy Executive MBA program at Xiamen University, documentary filmmakers, and media reporters passionate about public welfare officially assembled in Golmud and headed to the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve. They will carry out a approximately 10-day trekking and cultural scientific expedition activity.
The team will begin crossing the Hoh Xil region of Qinghai Province on June 27 and will conduct a series of cultural and scientific research projects along the way. According to interviews with reporters, the volunteer team set off from the Sonam Dargye Protection Station of the Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve, visiting various protection stations along the route and participating in volunteer activities. They will pay tribute to environmental guardians who lost their lives in the reserve and to the families of martyrs, donate relevant supplies and equipment to the brave protectors working under harsh conditions and engaging in heroic struggles against poachers, and also conduct scientific investigations into the unique humanistic and ecological environment of the Hoh Xil region. The average altitude during this crossing will be over 4,600 meters. While challenging their physical limits, the team will focus on assessing the current state of environmental and wildlife protection in the area and explore related issues in economics, law, natural sciences, and other fields.
June and July are the peak seasons for the mass migration of Tibetan antelopes, and the spectacular and rare scenes are self-evident. However, because the fur of these animals is rare and noble, it has brought them fatal danger. In the last century, before China had enacted relevant laws and regulations, poachers had free rein, pushing the already scarce Tibetan antelope population to the brink of extinction.
To protect these precious animals, represented by the martyr Jiesang Sonam Dargye, over the decades there has been a group of fearless warriors who have braved both environmental challenges and threats from poachers. They have poured their youth and tears into this pristine land with great enthusiasm.
Before setting off, the team members expressed gratitude to Lion Brand Outdoor for providing volunteers the opportunity to "go deep into Hoh Xil and participate in environmental protection and science outreach," and stated that they would definitely complete the related tribute activities and scientific research tasks, sharing what they see and feel with more people. Wu Keping, the representative of this volunteer activity, heartfeltly encouraged his companions, hoping that through the observations and experiences of this group, news reports, and photo displays, a true and vivid picture of the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve and the difficult living conditions of the Tibetan antelopes could be revealed to the world, drawing attention from all sectors of society and even the globe to the protection of Tibetan antelopes, and calling for opposition to the poaching of Tibetan antelopes and the use of their fur for clothing and accessories.
To ensure the safety of the team members participating in this volunteer activity and the smooth implementation of the activity plan, based on the actual conditions of the Beautiful Hoh Xil Tibetan Antelope Protection Project site, Lion Brand Outdoor specially invited a professional team of consultants and coaches to organize team members to participate in outdoor training courses and a series of adaptive exercises. At the same time, Lion Brand Outdoor provided a targeted equipment plan based on the climate and road conditions of the hiking route, ensuring the participants’ physical comfort under the professional protection of Lion Brand Outdoor gear, allowing them to better free their minds and experience the perfect harmony between body and nature. This includes equipment such as 50L backpacks, two-piece windbreakers, elastic quick-dry pants, hiking shoes, outdoor glasses, headscarves, hats, vests, and water bottles.
It is worth mentioning that the Hoh Xil Public Welfare and Environmental Protection Base was also officially established at the launch site of this expedition. It will serve as a platform for recruiting environmental enthusiasts from all walks of life, especially in today’s context of resource scarcity and severe ecological damage, where environmental protection issues are increasingly gaining attention. Hoh Xil, rich in rare wildlife resources and known as an animal paradise and earthly pure land, has ecological importance that has drawn the attention of enterprises and society. This platform will gather strong appeal to encourage more people to join us in contributing to the protection of the last pure land in the uninhabited region.
"Being able to participate in the Hoh Xil Tibetan Antelope Protection activity and jointly focus on and protect domestic wildlife and the ecological environment is a very meaningful endeavor for Lion Brand Outdoor. As a well-known brand in the outdoor industry, Lion Brand Outdoor has always hoped to fulfill its corporate social responsibility and realize the brand’s social value through its own actions. Lion Brand Outdoor calls on everyone, while engaging in outdoor sports, to care for wildlife, protect the ecological environment, and spread positive outdoor culture," said Xu Rongsheng, Chairman of Lion Brand Outdoor Products Co., Ltd., explaining the significance of the activity.