Life and Death Great Crossing - A Chinese Journalist's of Western China's Four Great Uninhabited Areas Scientific Expedition and Exploration

Author: Zhang Tianyuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: The book "A Life-and-Death Journey Through the West" was written by Zhang Tianyuan of the Tianshui Daily News and is about to be published. He asked me to write a preface. I was moved by his brave and fearless spirit in exploration and his professional pursuit, and I appreciated this meaningful action, so I readily agreed. As a reporter for a local newspaper, Comrade Zhang Tianyuan participated in the "China Journalists 2003 Western Scientific Expedition and Exploration." This was a large-scale, nationwide cross-regional reporting activity and also an extremely challenging expedition, requiring high from participants. At that time, more than 100 journalists from over 40 news media outlets applied, but after fierce competition and strict selection, only 13 journalists were chosen as team members, and Comrade Zhang Tianyuan was one of them. The expedition involved crossing the four major uninhabited areas—Lop Nur, Altun Mountains, Hoh Xil, and Qiangtang in Tibet—and conducting scientific research and multi-faceted reporting. No expedition team had ever crossed all four uninhabited areas at once before, and the challenges were immense. From subsequent reports, we learned that the scientific expedition team faced far more difficulties than anticipated. They encountered multiple dangers, nearly reaching a desperate situation, and only thanks to the rescue efforts of local governments and military units were they able to escape. As a reporter, Comrade Tianyuan demonstrated strong professional ethics and qualities during the expedition. Throughout the activity, he sent back over 50 news articles to his newspaper, averaging at least one per day. After returning, he further detailed the historical evolution, landscapes, and environmental conditions of the western regions through photo features and serialized articles, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the western culture. Especially noteworthy was his deep concern and profound reflection on the current state of environmental protection in the uninhabited areas, which was very insightful.
Currently, our top priorities are accelerating development, eradicating poverty, and improving people's living standards. At the same time, the severe environmental situation tells us that if we do not effectively address environmental issues while pursuing economic growth, we may face new ecological disasters. Serious environmental problems will severely constrain economic and social development and affect the improvement of people's quality of life. Through media promotion, raising public awareness of environmental protection and fostering positive ecological protection habits are urgent and essential. Only through extensive and in-depth publicity and reporting can we awaken the environmental awareness of the entire society, achieve harmony between humans and nature, and promote sustainable development, which aligns with the requirements of scientific development concepts and the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.
The book "A Life-and-Death Journey Through the West" vividly and meticulously describes and narrates the historical evolution, landscapes, customs, and ecological environment of the western regions. It is realistic and moving, as if the reader is there. Even more valuable is that Comrade Zhang Tianyuan, in his descriptions of the extremely harsh environment and the expedition, incorporates his reflections on life, his concerns and thoughts on environmental protection, which are thought-provoking and well worth reading.
Sticking to "closeness to reality, closeness to life, and closeness to the people" is an inevitable requirement for guiding news and public opinion work with the important thought of the "Three Represents." The "Three Closenesses" demand breakthroughs in work style and writing style. Every journalist must be prepared to go deep into the field, gather first-hand materials, broaden their perspective on news, and innovate in reporting forms to better serve the overall goals of reform and development.
We hope that journalists will go deep into the field, face challenges without fear, and use their pens to describe the passionate era of western development. They should focus on the western regions and environmental protection. By capturing the lives, labor, and creativity of the people in the west from multiple angles, they can introduce the region more comprehensively, helping more people understand and love the west, and jointly pay attention to its ecological environment and support the development and construction of the western regions of our country.
This book records the author's participation in the "China Journalists 2003 Western Scientific Expedition and Exploration." It vividly and meticulously describes and narrates the historical evolution, landscapes, customs, and ecological environment of the western regions.