Telemedicine is not a dream any more. Shopping online, running an on-line shop are not new to Tibetans. Lots of farmers and herdsmen devote much of their free time to chatting with friends on WeChat, a popular instant messaging application. Monks used Internet to recite the lection. Internet broadens horizons for Tibetans.

Using Telemedicine technology, more convenient

Since August of 2014, with the support of Shanghai Pudong New Area, Gyantse County People’s Hospital have had the training for the medical staff through distance education two times every month.

In the old times, because of the remoteness, medical workers in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region always went to eastern part of China for training and taught others when came back, which took a long time for once. While, the present condition is different from the past. Now, knowledge that took a few months to get updates within one week, especially CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and other fist-aids which is helpful for patients.

Teletraining is only the first shot, said by Kelzang, the director of Gyantse County People’s Hospital. The tele-consultation system will be set up in Oct, 2015. Combing the Internet with medicine benefits the patients.

The tele-consultation technology has already been applied in Tibet. According to the survey by the Planning Commission of China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, currently, there are at least 12 hospitals setting up a tele-consultation platform with hospitals in eastern parts of China. Until now, almost 200 cases are dealt with telemedicine.

E-commerce increases the growth of wealth

Internet significantly narrowed the gap between the inaccessible Tibet an the advanced medicine, also changing the way by which Tibetans know about the world. Padma Chozin, the Party secretory of Padain Tse village, Metok County, organizes information by using computer and knows about domestic and overseas news. 

“The ancestors of Moinba kept records by knotted ropes. Now, I can know the world through the Internet.” said by Padma Chozin. 

In the Zayul County, Nyingchi Prefecture of southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, 21-year-old Yeshe Lhamo, a Tibetan girl, deals with the business of Tibetan specialties on the Internet. Since the starting of the on-line shop, Yeshe Lhamo is busy with her business. She not only updates the website of her shop on Taobao.com, bu also has to respond the customers in time.  

More and more Tibet productions enter the market of eastern part of China through the Internet. According to the data, the number of vendors registered in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region on Taobao.com, China’s biggest e-commerce website,reaches over 1,200. The Tibetan medicine, yak meat, highland barley wine and other Tibet specialties are very popular on the online shopping. On August of 2015, Lhasa Jingtu health productions were launched on the JD.com that is the largest Amazon-like direct sales e-commerce seller in China.

Yeshe Lhamo said that opening an on-line shop is related to her online shopping. Boasting of convenience, fast, affordable, shopping online has become the fashion in Tibet.

According to the data from Alipay, the leading Chinese third-pary payment platform, in 2014, payment on the Tibet Mobile accounts for 62.2 percent of the total payment on the online shopping. “ In 2013, there were about 400 pieces packages a day. Now, everyday witnesses over 1,000 pieces.” said by Liu Jianhua, a worker from Yunda Logistics company. Because of the rapid increase of cargo quantity, Yunda’s headquarter has removed three times. Besides, its warehouse becomes larger.

Interworking through Internet

Sonam Yangkyi, the Party secretory of Takar village, Chushur County, feels easier at work now. “ In the past, news had been informed by phone to everyone. Currently, with Wechat, the message can be delivered to each person easier.” said by Sonam Yangkyi. Some people with low literacy can talk on Wechat directly.

Internet also takes convenience to monks. In Tashilhunpo Monastery, Shigatse, 70 percent of over 800 monks uses mobile phones and 20 percent have computers. Tenzin, a monk, bought IPAD last year. “ Using IPAD to download the lection is more convenient for reciting at anytime.” said by Tenzin.

The using of electronics brings a lot of convenience to monks. Many monks told that in their free time, they also learn Chinese, English and other languages and watch News on the Website. 

Tsetop, a monk, shares not only his daily lives on Wechat but also some articles and videos concerning Buddhism knowledge, Tibetan culture and history. He said that he made more friends through Wechat and opened a public Wechat for spread the Buddhism culture and idea to more people. 

Tibet Online, Tibetan Culture, Mount Qomolangma Counseling, Photo of Tibet, Beautiful Sentences of Tibet and other Wechats are popular, which spread knowledge of Tibet culture to more people.  

The number of households with Internet connections users was 2.17 million, with a coverage rate of 32 percent. The Internet has already been accessed to rural areas, which takes convenience to people in Tibet. Moreover, it also provide channels for more people know about Tibet.