China’s Tibet builds over 620 prosperous border villages

By the end of 2021, over 620 prosperous border villages were built in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region as a campaign to vitalize the country’s border areas in addition to bringing prosperity to residents in Tibet.

There are 21 counties in Tibet along the national border. To effectively build and develop these border counties is of great significance to the long-term peace and stability of Tibet.

Photo taken on June 1, 2022 shows Yumai township, Lhunze county, Tibet Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhang Rufeng)

Since the campaign was carried out in the 21 border counties of Tibet in 2018, the autonomous region has ramped up policy support for the project, sped up construction in Tibet’s border areas, and has made extensive efforts to improve the livelihoods of residents living in border areas.

Nowadays, the border villages in Tibet have been provided with paved roads, while all the border townships in Tibet are now connected to power networks and mobile Internet services. Local residents’ access to safe drinking water has been guaranteed, and public facilities have been increasingly improved to make sure local residents can enjoy education and medical care conveniently. Besides, specialty industries have been developed in the region’s border areas to promote prosperity for rural residents.

Yumai township, a border township in Shannan city, Tibet, used to be the hometown of only one family, whose family members included Sangye Chopa, the household’s father, and his daughters Drolkar and Yangzom. Sangye Chopa was the head of the township.

Nowadays, there are 240 people in 67 households living in Yumai township, and its infrastructure, including an electricity grid, roads, a 5G network, medical care and financial services facilities, have all been improved, introduced Hu Xuemin, secretary of the Party committee in Yumai township.

Yangzom’s son, Sonam Dondrup, was the first resident from Yumai township to have been admitted by a university. After graduation from the university, he returned home to become the first secretary of the Party committee of Yumai village.

Demchok village is located in Gar county of Ngari Prefecture in western Tibet. In the village, Tibetan-style residential buildings are neatly arranged, flat paved roads lead to the doorsteps of all the families living there and the residential buildings are surrounded by newly planted trees.

“The government has built five houses for my family, with each of them having better conditions than their predecessor,” said Sonam Lhamo, a 70-year-old resident in Demchok village.