Facing the approaching overwhelming billow resulting from powerful tidal waves, an old lama tolled calmly the last bell in his lamasery standing atop the peak. In a flash, the lamasery disappeared in the surge.

Let's watch again Roland Emmerich-directed blockbuster titled "2012." First, focus on the monastery located on the top of the world.

The world's highest-altitude monastery "Rongbo"

Lying against the background of Mt. Qomolangma, the Rongbo Monastery looks mysterious with dark red enclosure, colorful prayer streamers and white stupas. Some 20 km from the peak of Mt. Qomolangma, the monastery is regarded as the best location to appreciate the magnificent peak.

As a Base Camp for mountaineers scaling Qomolangma from its north side, the monastery has also drawn the public attention with delicate frescoes since it reopened in 2008. Flowing across the mountain foot is the Rongbo River formed by melting glaciers of Rongbo, the largest of its kind in the Qomolangma area.

Himalayas' injury worrisome

The global warming has posed a serious threat to these glaciers, with no new ice layers accumulated on most of them. Glaciers in the Himalayan area have been retreating an estimated 10 to 60 m annually. The Yimiya Glacier on Himalayas' southern slope even sees an annual shrinkage of 74 m.

On Dec. 4, 2009, the Nepali Government held a historic cabinet meeting on the climatic change in this area, at Kalapatthar, a Base Camp of Mt. Qomolangma.

Nepali Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and other 22 leading officials, wearing oxygen masks and eye protection glasses, signed the "Everest Declaration-2009" at the height of 5,242 m above sea level. "We hope to raise the global community's awareness of the climatic change and its impact on melting Himalayas," said Nepal.

Environmentalists have warned that the snow on Mt. Kilimanjaro is likely to completely melt down in the next ten years. At that time, the world will have to say "goodbye" to the mountain's unique wonder -- equator snow. However, if the snow there is gone, receding Himalayan glaciers will threaten local species and eco-system as well.　

(Source:Xinhua)