An announcement has been issued by Tibet's Tingri County, which reads that from December 5, no unit or individual will be permitted from entering the central area of the Mt. Qomolangma National Nature Reserve above Rongpo Monastery. This means that visitors to Mt. Qomolangma will not be allowed to go any further than Rongpo Monastery and they will be unable to go to Mt. Qomolangma Base Camp, two kilometers away from the monastery.

Tang Wu, director of the Tingri County Tourism Development Committee, told reporters that the Mt. Qomolangma National Nature Reserve is divided into three parts: the central area, the buffer zone, and the experimental area.

"The ban is only for the central area of the Mt. Qomolangma National Nature Reserve, which is the area above Rongpo Monastery. According to national laws and regulations, no individual or unit will be allowed to carry out tourism activities in the central area of the reserve. Tourists will be limited to the experimental area," Tang Wu said.

Speaking about the experimental area, Tang Wu said that Rongpo Monastery is the end point of Provincial Highway S515. Tourists can see Mt. Qomolangma in the distance from Provincial Highway S515 and within 100 meters of both sides of the highway in the experimental area.

"The distance between Mt. Qomolangma Base Camp and Rongpo Monastery is only about two kilometers. This distance has no effect on people viewing the majestic Mt. Qomolangma. Moreover, there are several ideal viewpoints near Rongpo Monastery where tourists can take photos. In order to meet photographers' needs, we will also duplicate the Mt. Qomolangma monuments and measuring monuments and set them up in places where tourists should stop," Tang Wu said.

According to Tang Wu, the number of tourists visiting the Mt. Qomolangma scenic area has increased annually in recent years. Around 140,000 people have visited the area so far this year. The "ban" will not affect tourists' view of Mt. Qomolangma, but it will play a very good role in protecting the Mt. Qomolangma National Nature Reserve.

Editor: Tommy Tan.