Recently, a group of mountaineers ignored a law banning activities related to digging for snow lotus herbs on Mount Tianshan.
It has been reported that 31 mountaineers from China’s Liaoning Province plucked hundreds of snow lotus herbs and then showed their so-called trophies online.
In 1996, snow lotus herbs were classified as a species of China’s second-class protective plants. In 2000, the State Council issued a memo stressing that raw snow lotus herbs are not allowed to be dug up nor plucked. Seven years later, snow lotus herbs became the first nationally protected plant species in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
However, these mountaineers disregarded the law and did not admit their wrongdoings initially. Several of them even made false statements online when people deplored their behavior and photos.
Their illegal conduct and astounding remarks are now in the spotlight of netizens and stirred up hot discussions throughout social media.
