Autumn in Tibet is very distinctive because it is such a vast territory compared to most provinces in China. Here at this particular time of the year does not simply mean that everything becomes a pure, golden color. It is more like a rainbow with a wide range of colors, many fresh and bright yet some remote and mysterious.

North Tibet is historically known as Changtang, which means "open ground in the north" in Tibetan. This plateau has an average elevation of 5,000 meters. One can travel several hundred km by vehicle and not see a single person. No one can be found north of Shuanghu where there are only vast stretches of treeless fields and grasslands, and the oxygen content of the atmosphere is 40 percent lower than in the hinterland. It, therefore, has the name of "desolate zone".

The Changtang Plateau, stretching from the Tanggula Mountains in the east to Memar Lake in the west, the Kunlun Mountains in the north and the Zagya Zangbo River in the south, covers a total area of 250,000 square km. It is the largest natural reserve in China today.

Warm autumn days bring vitality to all of nature. Wild animals become frisky, and Tibetan antelopes especially, like to play along the banks of lakes. They gallop at speeds sometimes reaching 80 km an hour, leaving their predatory wolves far behind. A male antelope has a pair of perpendicular upright black horns which viewed from the side look like a single horn. In ancient books, this was often described as the unicorn. Every October, herds of Tibetan antelopes move from the west Changtang Plateau to the east. The scene is spectacular. Tibetan Asiatic wild ass gather in small groups of four or five and yet sometimes in tens of thousands. They are very disciplined. Each group has a leader, and the others follow in an orderly fashion. Although there are not many vehicles here, when they spot one they delight in racing against it at speeds of up to 60 km an hour. Some people mistake the Asiatic wild ass for wild horses but there are no records of wild horses living in Tibet.

Wild yaks are the fiercest among the animals on the north Tibetan plateaus. They look like domestic ones, but are bigger and taller, double or three times the size of their domestic brothers and weigh over 500 kg. In fights, once injured, they will not try to escape but fiercely butt their opponent and, when really angry, are capable of overturning a jeep.

According to Cering Wanggyai, an official of the Tibetan Shuanghu Special Administrative Area, Tibet and the Chinese Academy of Sciences carried out three surveys into the Changtang Plateau's wild animal resources. The largest was the Sino-US joint survey made in July 1994. It has now been verified that there are 38 kinds of mammals, three kinds of reptiles, over 10 kinds of fish and some 70 kinds of seed plants in the Changtang area. The number of Tibetan antelopes is estimated to stand at 40,000, Tibetan donkeys at 10,000, and wild yaks at 6,000.

A famous zoologist and member of the US New York Animal Council, said after one survey that China's Tibetan Changtang Natural Reserve is one of the world's best preserved wild animals paradises at the highest point above sea level which has never been polluted by humans.

Autumn in south Tibet is very different from that in north Tibet.

Mount Qomolangma in southwest Tibet, the highest point on the globe, is world-famous for its grandeur, magnificence and beauty. There are 14 peaks over 8,000 meters high in the world, and 10 of them are in the Himalayas.

In the Himalayan Mountain Range, the two large world biospheres of Gubei Sphere and Dongyang Sphere join here, giving the area a wide range of animals and plants which spread from the tropics to the North Pole.

There are over 2,300 species of rare plants and nearly 300 different kinds of wild animals on Mount Qomolangma alone.

Melted snow water that flows from the Himalayas has formed lakes on the plateau which are crystal clear during the autumn.

Such mountain and river scenery charms people worldwide. Mountaineers from various countries have scored many wonderful achievements here, and its fame attracts many scientists, tourists and pilgrims. Today, the opening to the outside world is convenient for business people from neighboring countries to visit. According to tourist department statistics, the number of people who visited the Qomolangma area in 1994 exceeded 20,000.

Li Bosheng, researcher of the Institute of Botany under the Chinese Academy of Sciences,who is carrying out surveys in Ti- bet, said, "Today, the Qomolangma area can be regarded as the cleanest area in the world. But, it also faces serious environmental problems. This is because of the increasing number of mountain climbers and tourists, who are, in varying degrees, causing unacceptable environmental pollution. Mountaineers often ascend to an altitude of 7,000 to 8,000 meters, leaving their rubbish there. This is very difficult to clear away because it does not degrade quickly, and some experts predict it could take as long as 100 years before such material over 5,000 meters above sea level disappears through natural absorption and wastage. The pollution on Mount Qomolangma needs attention."

Autumn in east Tibet is yet another different scene.

Gongbogyamda County, not far from Lhasa, boasts the Conggo Lake, one of the 10 largest most famous lakes in the world. The water here changes color with the four seasons; sometimes it appears azure blue, sometimes blackish green and sometimes pale white. Set off by the surrounding snow-clad mountains and surrounded by green trees in spring, and in late autumn, the red maples and yellow poplars, the scenery there resembles that in Europe, so it is no wonder European tourists are keen to visit the area.

Further east, there is a place called Raog. Although it is not well known, it is an ideal spot for viewing the mountains. The peaks of the Himalayas can be seen in a row here, and the mountain tops are capped with snow all the year round. If anyone goes further into the mountain range, they can see the glacial hot springs and the ice pagoda forest. An overawed traveler once said, "Guilin's mountains and rivers are the best in the world, and the best scenery in the world is in Jiuzhaigou, (Sichuan),while the mountain scenery in Jiuzhaigou is pale by comparison with Raog."

Entering Nyingchi is like falling into a green ocean. This is the largest forest area in Tibet, occupying 66 percent of forest area and boasting 92 percent of the timber reserves of the region, the largest in China.

Nyingchi became the main forest area in Tibet as the result of movement in the Himalayan mountains. The bulging of the earth's crust created the Himalaya Mountain Range, Hengduan Mountain Range and the Nyainqentanglha Mountain Range. All are influenced by southwestern monsoons which form a moist climate, thereby nurturing the vast primitive forest. Some 20 kinds of trees including dragon spruce, fir and alpine, grow here.

The Yarlung Zangbo River Canyon, the deepest and longest canyon in the world, is situated in southeast Tibet. Some 370 km long with the deepest point exceeding 5,382 meters, the U-shaped canyon makes a large bend on the Yarlung Zangbo River in southeast Tibet.

The Yarlung Zangbo River Canyon attracts many scientists and explorers because of its depth and unsurpassed grandeur. But,owing to its dangerous environment no one has ever traversed the whole course on foot, nor has anyone succeeded in sailing along it. Many people have managed to make it half way to reach a 300-meter-high precipice but go no further because of the difficulty of passing. Many have even lost their lives trying to complete the route. And yet explorers and adventurers from more than 30 countries have requested permission to attempt, it and teams from China are hoping to complete the total route in the near future.

Zayu in the far eastern region is known colloquially as an area in Tibet similar to the south of the Yangtze River.

The tropical vegetation here is almost beyond belief: purple banana flowers bud under the green broadleaves and gold paddy rice sways in the sunlight. It is here, too, that an abundance of oranges, tangerines, apples, walnuts, grapes, peaches and chestnuts are grown.

Autumn in Tibet is wonderful; this mysterious, wonderful and beautiful land with her many gorgeous and exquisite colors, is a joy for all.

(This article on page 23, No. 29, 1995)