XINING -- Northwest China's Qinghai province has instituted a special court that will hear environmental cases and provide legal services for the ecological protection of the Qilian Mountains.

The Qilian Mountains ecological court, affiliated with the Qilian County People's Court in Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, will be handling environment-related cases in the prefecture, the Qinghai Provincial Higher People's Court said on June 10.

Man Zhifang, vice president of the Qinghai Provincial Higher People's Court, said the Qilian Mountains ecological court is the second such court in the province. The court will provide effective legal assurance and high-quality services for the ecological protection of the Qilian Mountains, he added. Additionally, it will further advance the pilot project for Qilian Mountain National Park.

In 2017, a similar ecological court was set up in Qinghai to hear environment-related cases in the Sanjiangyuan region. Sanjiangyuan, meaning the "source of three rivers," is home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers.

The Qilian Mountains, standing along the border of Gansu and Qinghai provinces, are deemed as an important natural barrier in west China. These mountains help maintain the ecological balance of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and block the southward invasion of three major deserts.