Each year, Baolige, a Mongolian herdsman in Hexigten Banner of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, takes his sheep and cattle to distant Bayan Gol Pasture in early May and returns home in late September.

In the Mongolian language, Baolige means "spring" and Bayan Gol means "beautiful river." These days, however, desert areas can be observed around the yurts, and grass and water are becoming scarce.

"Over the past few years, the grassland has deteriorated to varying degrees. Parts of Bayan Gol Pasture are becoming increasingly barren." Baolige said, observing his 100 head of sheep and 30 or 40 head of cattle grazing in the field.

In order to earn more money, some people in his village have begun working in the tourism industry in a nearby stone forest.

Another herdsman, Suhe, shared similar concerns. "I have 400 head of sheep. I can't acquire more due to the lack of grasslands."

Suhe is currently working as a guide, accompanying tourists on horseback through the hillside in the National Protection Zone of Grassland in Xilin Gol League of Inner Mongolia. On some days, he earns the equivalent of the sale of one of his lambs.

Together with other villagers, Suhe tames horses for tourism companies in Beijing, which provides additional income for his family. Over the past few decades, highways have been built on the previously virgin grasslands, extending in all directions. Dry riverways line the roads, and spruces uprooted by sandstorms, stretches of desert and unsightly alkali-affected land are common sights.

Cross-country jeeps, have replaced the horses of Genghis Khan, the ancestor of Chinese Mongolian herdsmen, on the region's roads.

A world-renowned Mongolian emperor, Genghis Khan was a Mongolian military strategist and statesman who united Mongolian tribes and established his Mongol empire in 1206, the largest ever in the world.

While Genghis Khan conquered his enemies in the battlefield some 800 years ago, his descendants, today's Mongolian herdsmen, are facing the challenges of subsisting on the grasslands in modern society.

Although it is difficult to pinpoint the date that the grassland deterioration began, most concur that, during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), people were encouraged to cultivate crops on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia due to economic crises at home and abroad.

These policies converted the grasslands into low-yield farmland, despite the fact that the vegetation and climate were not at all suitable for this purpose.

According to Liu Jianhua, head of the publicity department of Hexigten Banner, as a result of these policies, an increasing number of herdsmen gave up their nomadic lifestyles and settled down. This, in turn, led to the further destruction of the grasslands in the area during the next several years.

"The global climate has changed significantly since industrialization." she said, "Such new phenomena as the greenhouse effect are making nature increasingly severe and harsh."

Unfortunately, in recent years, Inner Mongolia has suffered frequent natural disasters caused not only by snow, drought and locusts, but also by forest fires and sandstorms. In order to survive in this region, today's Chinese Mongolian herdsmen are seeking a reasonable means of making a living.

Many pieces of grassland have been closed off by the local government in Hexigten Banner, where herding is banned.

Along highways, government officials are distributing high quality seeds to farmers.

In the central and eastern parts of Inner Mongolia, willows which can subsist in sand have been planted by the government.

In addition, the local authority is developing tourism as a new focal point of economic growth. There are places of interest in the region, including the 2,000-km Great Wall ruins from the Jin Dynasty (265-420) and the last capital of the Yuan Dynasty from the 14th century.

"We are exploiting these cultural resources to attract tourists. Recently, our department visited Beijing, Hebei Province and Guangdong Province to advertise the historical and scenic spots in the region, and the visits produced good results." Liu said.

The National Geological Park in Hexigten Banner was opened to tourists recently. It has groups of volcanoes, the peak of the Greater Hinggan Mountains (China's largest forest), and stone forests in the mountains which are 1,700 meters above sea level.

"We have received more tourists than ever this year," said a deputy head of the department. "Next year, a new highway to Beijing will be built which will reduce travel time to only six hours. Our goal is to make Hexigten Banner the back garden of Beijing."

"Together with the other nationalities in Inner Mongolia, we are learning new lifestyles. We have realized the importance of environmental protection and cultural preservation, and will not allow this historical region to become barren," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2002)