A mountain of images

An urge to take stock of nature's bounty in his hometown has sent Luo Hao on a 12-year odyssey. The man, who is in his late 50s, has dug into his own pocket and led a team to trek to every nook and cranny in the Tibet autonomous region on a mission to capture images of its precious wildlife.

They have managed to produce hundreds of thousands of photos, some of which are the first recorded images of some of the region's stunning plants and animals.

Extreme conditions on the plateau gave them a difficult time, and there were even death-defying close calls, but Luo says it was all worth it when his photography collection Top of the World made its public debut.

The collection is aimed at shedding new light on the distinctive flora and fauna around Qomolangma, known as Mount Everest in the West. "I started planning the book in 2015 and it took eight years for it (the collection) to see the light of day," Luo says.

Their expedition was hindered that year by the devastating earthquake that hit the Nepali capital Kathmandu. "It borders on Tibet, so we had to cancel the trip and postponed it for three years," Luo says.

The investigation restarted in 2018, but then was sidelined by the pandemic. It ended up lasting for another three years.

"But it might be a case of the road to happiness being strewn with setbacks. We basically managed to photograph everything we wanted," Luo says, adding that the book covers 10 new species on Qomolangma.

In many people's mind, Tibet has blue sky, white clouds, monasteries, snowcapped mountains and yaks, but Luo has long realized that there is actually a more microscopic world, and he hopes more people can see it.

Moreover, he believes that the special climate, altitude, wind and sand conditions have made the ecology more fragile in Tibet, and thus it needs more public attention.

In 2010, Luo established the Tibet Biodiversity Image Conservation, which he pulled off partly through sponsorship and also with his own money. He brought together a team of ecological experts, photographers and volunteers to publicize the natural charm of Tibet.

"I was not a biologist and didn't have any related expertise, but my specialty was journalism and photography, so I figured I could independently do something for nature in my own way," he says.

In the winter of 2010, Luo and his team went along the northern slope of the Himalayas, from east to west, starting from the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, across multiple areas such as Basum Lake, to Ngari prefecture. They studied animals, plants, insects, birds of prey and aquatic creatures.

"We first did extensive research on paper, and then planned the routes in the most economical and time-efficient manner," Luo says.

They calculated ahead, such as how long they would spend at a particular site and how many creatures they had to find, so everything could stay under budget.

"We are very much like a big crew, taking tens of thousands of photos at a time," Luo says.

"I'm like a director, asking everyone to ensure that they're taken from the best angle and in the best light."

They captured exciting moments seeing red gorals, leopards and Zorotypus medoensis in the eastern part of the Himalayas, dominated by forest and subtropical rainforest.

On the two sides of central Qomolangma, the team focused on Alpine plants and animals, especially the Himalayan blue poppy.

In Ngari prefecture in the west of the Himalayas, Luo found wild yaks, lynxes and Apollo butterflies.

"The wings of the Apollo are as thin as cicada wings, and it's unbelievable to see such a small insect survive at an altitude of 4,500 meters above sea level, where the wind is often too strong for a person to stand steady," Luo says.

Generally speaking, Luo's team paid attention to rare creatures and those on the verge of extinction in Tibet.

"Humans are very small in front of nature, and if we can't stop the disappearance of endangered species, preserving them in the form of images will provide a foundation for future researchers to investigate," Luo says.

"Future generations will also see that there are beautiful creatures living at such a high altitude."

During Luo's team's endeavors to find and record those precious creatures, the explorers have faced danger.

In 2011, the team was attacked by hornets at the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon when smoke from a photographer's cigarette stirred their nest.

"They are as big as three bees, and three to five times as poisonous," Luo recalls.

A photographer was badly stung and had to go to the hospital, which was a two-hour drive away.

"It was critical, and his life could have been on the line if things got delayed a bit," he says.

They also experienced land collapses and landslides, but fortunately, came away unscathed.

"The hardships are often there, but there's always something that inspires me to go on," Luo says.

Their findings will be made into books featuring vivid photos and scientific texts.

Luo has also staged lectures for younger students to better appreciate nature.

"Some of them might be influenced to become an expert in the field or take action to protect those rare animals in the future," Luo says.

"I believe what I do can be carried forward and is meaningful."

So far, Luo and his team have taken more than 300,000 photographs of Tibet's natural world and published 11 science popularization books.

Li Hui, a journalist based in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, admires Luo's perseverance with his cause. She covered Luo's trip in 2011 and experienced the hornet's attack herself.

"We ran like hell down the mountain to avoid the hornets, only to be stung during a tea rest at the local village head's home," Li says, adding that the experience made the trip even more impressive.

To Luo's relief, his work has already produced positive results.

The images of Zorotypus medoensis taken in 2012 have filled a void in the recordings of the creature since it was found by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1976.

"The only thing that was available to refer to the bugs before was a sketch," Luo says, adding that the small bug was found in rotten wood and was considered a living fossil in entomology and a valuable asset for studies into continental drift.

Moreover, Luo's biodiversity work for Basum helped the place become a major historical site under State protection in 2012.

Luo moved to Tibet with his military reporter father in 1970 when he was 6 years old.

"I remember people going on a pilgrimage to Tibet, wearing a big leather rope, and the scripture turning place was packed with people," Luo recalls.

He followed in his father's footsteps and became a photographer.

In 1985, Luo got enrolled into the photography class at the School of Journalism and Communication at Renmin University of China.

"Going to school was mainly to broaden my view," he says.

In 2008, Luo became executive editor of Tibet Geographic, but it didn't take long before he got tired of city life and started longing for home. So, later that year, he quit and returned to his old stomping ground.

"It's like you finally find what you really want after going around a big circle," he says. "Tibet is where I grew up and I've grown used to its cuisine and languages."

To date, Luo says his team's biodiversity studies have covered about 90 percent of the northern slope of the Himalayas. "We've shot images that have added up to dozens of terabytes," he says.

"When I can no longer walk, I will organize these treasures and donate them to the country and to professional institutions around the world that study this area."

Luo plans to continue on to the south of the mountain range, which involves visiting Nepal, Bhutan, India and Pakistan.

"It will be a huge project, but I will stick to it as long as I can," Luo says.