compare this map detailing the rich nature reserve with this, the proposed location for the alpine ski center. as environmentalists warned at the time, the planned construction site was right in the core of the nature reserve. in 2017, they released an updated mapping of the nature reserve boundary. while it showed an even larger reserve area than previously designated, the original core zone, including the highest peak experts say that has the most significance to biodiversity, was no longer part of the protected lands. because if you are destroying the upper high-altitude mountain parts, it s no use to try and cure in the lower parts. reporter: in april 2017, construction began. the once-lush forest torn down. trees shipped out. in less than three years you could see the ski runs carved into the mountains. when president xi jinping visited the ski center a year ago, he emphasized beijing s
a bit farther north. both giving a more mountainous backdrop. you have beijing s first national nature reserve and the second-highest mountain. at the border of beijing and hubei, it s home to hundreds of types of animals and plants, even some endangered species. perhaps not what you d expect when you think of china s smoggy capital city. these areas of protection of wilderness, of nature, are really important. not just for nature itself, but also it s really important for people. reporter: cnn obtained this 2007 tourism planning policy for the national reserve. it explicitly stated that any development in this part, the core zone, is forbidden. china s law recognizing the value of its biodiversity and protecting it from disturbance. it did not last long. beijing. reporter: when beijing won its bid for the 2022 winter games, some environmentalists highlighted an immediate worry.