An American couple, the elusive ounce and eco-friendly development

In 2016, China officially launched its first national park pilot project in Sanjiangyuan, the source of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers. In 2018, one of the 53 villages called Angsai, close to the habitats of many wild animals including snow leopards, got approval from the authorities to organize activities such as rafting on the Lancang River. But they had no idea what they were supposed to do as the host family, because they only had experience of herding cattle and digging caterpillar fungus," Chodrol Palmo said. As agreed, 45 percent of the income from each visitor or visiting group goes to the host family, another 45 percent goes to the village's collective fund, to be used to help improve other families' living standards, with the rest being used to protect wildlife. One day luck smiled on the American couple, Chodrol Palmo said.