<正>RESIDENTS of Xiede Township, Dawu County. Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture tell a centuries-old legend of how the region was created by the gods. The area was a vast ocean before the God of Yala Snow Mountain dropped a lotus into its waters, which transformed into lotus-shaped land. The mountains that surround the area are its petals, while the Tibetan Buddhist temple of Huiyuan in the center is its stamen.