Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar
are Precious and Fragile

During the summer of 2001, SLC staff joined friends from The Mountain Institute and the Peak Enterprise program* on a visit to Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in western Tibet. The region is intensely sacred to Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Bön-po (a Tibetan religion that preceded Buddhism). Thousands of pilgrims visit each year, many of whom circumambulate both the mountain and the lake. As with other sites that receive many visitors, the settlement of Darchen at the base of Mount Kailash has felt the impacts of tourism. Our poster seeks to encourage pilgrims and visitors to respect the environment and clean up after themselves. This compliments other eco-friendly activities being undertaken in the area.

Our poster depicts the wildlife to be found around the lake, the surrounding Barka Plain and on Mount Kailash itself. The posters are being displayed and sold at Darchen, and at various guest houses beside the lake. Twenty percent of the profits will go into a socially and environmentally responsible Business Development Fund for the benefit of the region.

The title reads: “Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar Precious and Fragile,” and the caption below the image reads, “When You Visit Respect the Environment: keep the water clean, protect local wildlife, dispose of rubbish properly, encourage your friends to do the same.”

The poster image is active and will respond to your mouse for greater detail.

* The Peak Enterprise program is a partnership of the Tibet Autonomous Region Federation of Commerce and Industry and The Mountain Institute, and works to bring socially and environmentally responsible economic development to rural Tibet.

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