ABSTRACT
Attempting to understand the status and nature of sacred natural sites is a complex process because it is typically predicated on spiritual/human agency, spiritual/human governance and ontic/epistemic modalities of engagement. Most of the widely read and cited peer-reviewed journal articles on sacred natural sites in the Eastern Kham region have tended to focus on the ‘metrics of biodiversity’, and they have understated the role of lay people in the ritual protection of enspirited sacred natural sites under the aegis of “mountain cults”. Kham is one of the most unique biological regions on earth. It is situated at the eastern end of the Himalaya between Qinghai-Tibetan plateau and China. The region constitutes about 4% of China’s land area, includes seven mountain ranges and comprises Western Kham and Eastern Kham. Elevations range from 1000m to over 7556m with a mean elevation of 3500m.
