This book contains the proceedings of the conference on 'Poverty Alleviation in Mountain Areas of China', organised by the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment (in Chengdu), InWEnt Capacity Building International, Germany (formerly DSE), IFAD, and ICIMOD, in November 2002 in Chengdu. The twenty chapters cover a broad range of topics drawing on experiences from the Indian Himalayas and the mountains of Bhutan to illustrate methods of poverty alleviation that might be relevant in China. There is an interesting mix of ideas woven together in terms of income- generating strategies that range from agricultural transformation into off-season crops and non-timber forest products and livestock husbandry to a strategy for mountain tourism that is geared to community development. Infrastructure is dealt with in both the micro-and macro sense. The need for, and problems in providing, education for mountain people are examined. The final chapter deals with IFAD's approach to alleviation of poverty in the mountain areas of China. There is much to learn from this collection, and many ideas that can be further developed not only by development professionals but by policy-makers and planners dealing with similar issues to those faced by their counterparts in China.