Yoguzonglie and the People Protecting the Yellow River Source

Yoguzonglie lies in Qumalai County, Yushu Prefecture. A 2023 Xinhua report follows Geqiu, whose family village is about a half-hour drive from the Yellow River source. He grew up hearing from his father that the river sustains life downstream and that its water must be protected. As an adult, he patrols the source area and shares its landscape with fellow rangers.

Geqiu’s assigned work includes preventing unauthorized entry and illegal fishing, patrolling the land and explaining protection policies. The river begins in a highland of wetlands, grassland and streams, and local protection work starts with keeping those source waters clean.

The report describes grazing restrictions introduced in stages. In November 2019, the first transfer removed 2,665 head of livestock from the core protection area. A second phase in October 2020 covered another 170,000 mu of grassland and 2,625 animals. By then, 66 pastoral households had moved out of the core area, and 320,000 mu of grassland near Yoguzonglie had entered grazing prohibition.

Each of the 66 households had an ecological ranger. Geqiu’s patrols were part of a county-level effort to protect the headwaters through land-use changes and local stewardship.