Protect the Tibet Antelope

The railway runs through Kekexili nature reserve, which is the home of the Tibetan antelope. The animal is one of the most endangered in China, with only 50,000 still alive. To protect them, workers built 33 passages for them along the railway in the form of bridges and tunnels, the first time this has been done in China's history of railway construction.

A railway construction worker jokingly called the Tibetan antelopes boss, saying no one would dare to provoke them.

The lovely animals are getting used to the railway. Since May, more than a thousand antelopes from the eastern part of the reserve have crossed the railway to give birth in the hinterland via special passes. They no longer hesitate, and can cross the railway with ease.

Facts on Environmental Protection

During the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet railway, the protection of the local environment was always put at the forefront of the project.

1.54 billion yuan has been spent on protecting the vulnerable environment and the rare species that live there.

To help with the restoration of the ecosystem, grass has been planted along the border of more than 300 kilometers of the railway, at an altitude of 4300 to 4500 meters.

Meanwhile, marshland has been preserved by relocating grass from low-lying land that was dug out to make way for the railway. The grass has been replanted in some artificial depressions made in areas which lacked grass.

Before the project started, researchers had conducted a comprehensive survey on the climate, environment, species and ecosystem of the plateau. Their goal was that no water be polluted, no earth eroded, no vegetation wrecked, no animal migration hindered, and no scenery ruined.