Introduction to Zi River

The Zi chu River (紫曲), also known as “Ziqu” (孜曲) (འཛི་ཆུ ) meaning “The River with a White Spot on the Cow’s Forehead,” is located in Riwoche County (རི་བོ་ཆེ་རྫོང་།) , Tibet, to the northwest of the county seat. It originates from Dingqing County (སྟེང་ཆེན་རྫོང་།) and extends into Qinghai Province before merging with the Gequ River to form the Sequ River (色曲)(གསེར་ཆུ་).

Geographical Features of Zichu

Location: Northwest of Riwoche County, Tibet
Source: Dingqing County and Qinghai Province
Tributary Merging: The Zi River flows westward and merges with the Gechu River near the county seat, forming the Sequ River (色曲).
Naming Significance: The name “White Spot on Cow’s Forehead” likely refers to the unique markings on cattle in the region, symbolizing the river’s connection to local cattle herding traditions.

Ecological and Agricultural Importance

Upper Reaches: The upper course of the river is dominated by natural pastures, where yaks (牦牛), dzos (犏牛), and Tibetan sheep (藏系绵羊) graze freely.
Middle and Lower Reaches: These areas feature fertile farmlands and are rich in forest resources, supporting crops such as barley (青稞), wheat (小麦), and other Tibetan agricultural staples.
Flora and Fauna: The river’s ecosystem is vital for sustaining the local wildlife and plant life, especially within the forests and agricultural fields.

Cultural and Economic Role

The Zichu River plays a key role in the local Tibetan economy. The upper reaches support pastoralism, while the lower reaches contribute to the agriculture of the region. The river’s resources are integral to the livelihoods and cultural practices of the people in Leiwuqi County and the surrounding areas.

Conservation and protection of Zichu river

According to reports, Riwoche County in Chamdo Prefecture is interwoven with rivers, including the Ziqu, Gequ, and Angqu rivers. The Ziqu River flows through the Zichu (Ziqu) River National Wetland Park and Riwoche County’s urban area, and it is a first-level tributary of the Lancang River.

During the river patrol, prosecutors set out from the river near the Dongzi Lane Community in Sangduo Town, Leiwuqi County. They used drones to conduct a “drone patrol + field visit” dual-mode approach, leveraging drone aerial photography technology for high-altitude inspections of the Ziqu River. This method ensured comprehensive coverage and no blind spots in problem identification, focusing on detecting illegal activities such as waste dumping, direct sewage discharge, illegal water extraction, sand mining, and obstructions to flood flow. Prosecutors also visited villages along the river to understand local public opinions and educate residents about river and lake protection laws and regulations.

In response to public interest litigation clues discovered during the patrol, prosecutors conducted on-site analysis and evaluation. For cases that met the criteria for public interest litigation, investigations were initiated in accordance with the law. A total of 12 ecological protection issues related to the Zichu (Ziqu) River were identified, with 5 administrative public interest lawsuits filed and 2 pre-litigation prosecution suggestions issued to the relevant administrative authorities. For issues that did not meet the criteria for litigation, the relevant clues were promptly forwarded to the river chief office or relevant administrative agencies.