Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Region

The Yunnan government recently announced intentions to stop construction of a motorway in Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Region because of the area's vulnerable ecology.

Located in the Hengduan Mountains on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Region boasts one of the world's longest alpine canyons. Thanks to its special geography, the region has becomes a sort of wildlife "gene" bank, containing a huge diversity of flora. The region is also home to a number of rare wild animals, such as the Taiga musk deer.

Twenty-two ethnic minorities live in Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Region. Nearly half the population is Lisu, though other residents include people of the Dulong and Nu ethnic minorities. In previous years, local government has worked toward regional poverty relief, yielding many measurable achievements. The incomes of local farmers have soared, while the poverty rate has decreased.

The region's geography makes motorway construction difficult. Moreover, deforestation is an inevitable side effect of such infrastructural development, bringing harm to the area's natural environment. However, People’s Daily commented that the abandonment of the motorway project does not mean the end of efforts to improve infrastructure in the region. Instead, improving existing roads will gradually and more sustainably develop access for the area's residents.

Nu ethnic minority living in the autonomous region