Journey for new life: The legend of Tibetan herdsmen

BEIJING, July 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by China.org.cn on the herdsmen of Rungma in Tibet moving to their new houses near Lhasa with the help of the local government:

In Nagqu city in southwest China's Tibet autonomous region there is a township called Rungma. Over 5,000 meters above sea level, it is a paradise for rare wild animals like Tibetan antelopes and wild yaks. However, the harsh natural conditions, especially the severe lack of water, make it particularly inhospitable for humans.

Despite the tough conditions, Rungma used to be home to 262 herding families. To get water, they had to trek to a stream to fetch it. When they wanted to make a phone call, they had to ride motor bicycles to another township more than 30 kilometers away. There was also no vegetable store in Rungma. The average life span was below 60 years.

Thanks to the help of the local government, the herdsmen have said goodbye to their former lives.

Since 2017, the regional government began to implement its first ecological relocation program in high-altitude areas. New houses were built in Katrug village near Lhasa, the regional capital city, and the herdsmen of Rungma were moved there. Each family received an 80-to-180-square-meter house depending on the number of family members. A house cost them around 6,000 yuan per person. For those living under the official poverty line, the houses were free.

Since then, the herdsmen no longer depend on the weather for water and food. Tap water is available any time. Supplementary facilities, such as a kindergarten and the village committee's multi-purpose building, are just steps away from their homes. Their children can receive a better education, and the elderly residents can enjoy better healthcare services. What's more, the Lhasa municipal government has managed to find them 220 jobs. Relevant hiring procedures will start soon.

This relocation project is a showcase of China's intensified efforts to alleviate poverty in targeted areas over the past years.

Because of the adverse natural conditions, such as the high altitude and the harsh climate, Tibet has remained one of the poorest regions in China. Local herdsmen are the major victims of this problem. The relocation of Rungma's residents offered the regional government valuable experience in poverty alleviation. Moreover, after the herdsmen moved out of Rungma, the pastures they used will be restored to meadow, and the fences they built to enclose the pastures will be dismantled. These measures will fully return the land to nature. Through the relocation project, the local government tackled poverty and protected the environment at the same time.

Compared with six decades ago, Tibet's regional GDP has increased more than 1,000 times, alongside a population growth of more than 2 million. With China's fast economic development and people's greater awareness of environmental protection, the region will become more beautiful, and the local people will live a richer and happier life.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm  
Journey for new life: The legend of Tibetan herdsmen
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2018-07/05/content_55015380.htm

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