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Songtsam Hotels Resorts Tours, launches sustainability initiatives

Songtsam Meili Lodge

Songtsam Hotels Resorts Tours, a boutique luxury group in Tibet, has been firmly committed to sustainability and to supporting local communities since its founding 20 years ago by Baima Duoji. At the newly opened Songtsam Lodge Namcha Barwa, the goal is to help improve the Dalin Village’s living standards and support local development.

Another initiative has been to preserve the 2000 year old tradition of making Nixi Black Pottery in Shangri-La City, Diqing Prefecture.  Songtsam's guests are taken to visit the traditional Tibetan villages of Nixi to experience pottery-making firsthand. They often purchase these vessels, thereby contributing income to the Nixi craftsmen and to the local village.  

Songtsam pays special attention to environmental sustainability in all aspects of the design and construction process of their hotels and lodges.  Songtsam Lodge Ranwu, with an altitude of approx. 13,779 feet, stands at the highest altitude of all Songtsam hotels so far. In order to preserve the natural environment, the building was designed as modular prefabrication, embedded under a high cliff, hidden from sight, despite the difficult construction challenges.  Most of Songtsam’s lodges are brick-wood structures and are made of wood recycled from abandoned buildings or from trees that have naturally fallen, due to Tibet’s logging ban. The buildings are of a similar size and architectural style to those in Tibet’s villages and fit into the local environment.

 

As part of their involvement with the preservation of the natural ecosystem, Songtsam organizes tours for their guests to enjoy the magnificent natural scenery and learn about the complex plants within the Hengduan Mountains in the area of the Three Parallel Rivers.

Cooperating with Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve, Songtsam launched the Tibetan Eared Pheasant Charity Program to restore the population of the rapidly disappearing protected species. The first group of Tibetan-eared pheasants farmed and nurtured by the Songtsam staff have been successfully released back to nature.

For more information about Songtsam visit www.songtsam.com/en/about