In late December 2024, the lowest temperature in Zhegu Town, Comai County, Shannan Prefecture, southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, plunged below -10°C. Amidst this bitter cold winter, the fan of the room heater in Pema Dondrup's new home was running, making the room as warm as if it were spring. This was all thanks to the electrical renovation project funded by Anhui Province. During this harsh winter, farmers and herdsmen in five villages of Zhegu Town would all be able to use heaters for warmth.

Zhegu Town, with an altitude of over 4,500 meters, is the highest town in Comai County, with an annual average temperature of -6°C and a lowest temperature of -26°C. On the Zhegu Grassland, burning yak dung stoves has always been the most common heating method for farmers and herdsmen, but it suffers from issues such as difficult temperature control, cumbersome operation, easy extinction, and limited heating area.

The eighth batch of Anhui Province's aid team to Xizang has always kept the well-being of farmers and herdsmen in mind, treating the solution to the heating problem in high-altitude areas as an important livelihood project. Based on the actual situation, after research and extensive consultation, the local government allocate funds offered by the aid team from Anhui Province to implement the electrical renovation project, with an investment of 9.634 million yuan, covering 1,300 households of farmers, herdsmen, and government agencies. The construction content includes HVAC engineering and indoor electrical circuit renovation, which has officially started in November and is scheduled to be completed by the end of December.

"Traditional yak dung stoves are mostly installed in the kitchen and cannot solve the heating problem in the bedrooms. It's particularly cold at night here, and we have to sleep under layers of covers. My baby is just a month old, and it's really cold at night when feeding and changing diapers. Now that we have this heater installed at home, we don't have to worry about our child getting cold at night anymore," Pema Dondrup said happily.

The living room of Tashi Tsering's home in Zhuode Village is a west-facing room. Upon entering the living room, a chill hit. The construction workers were teaching 64-year-old Tashi Tsering how to use the remote control. With the press of a button, the living room warmed up in just a few minutes. "Using the heater is very convenient and cozy. This Tibetan New Year, we can spend the holiday warmly with our family," Tashi Tsering couldn't contain his joy.

"Since the project started, we have strictly controlled the quality and scientifically arranged construction to ensure completion by the end of December as scheduled, so that farmers and herdsmen in Zhegu Town can have a warm winter," said Cheng Yinghao, who is in charge of the project.

Currently, the installation of heaters is proceeding in an orderly manner in Zhuode Village, Zhaza Village, Kazhu Village, Zongzong Village, and Zhegu Community in Zhegu Town. The words of thanks from farmers and herdsmen and their happy faces, like blooming Kelsang Flowers, make this winter particularly warm.

Reporter: Sun Kaiyuan, Zhang Huayun

Translator: Zhi Xinghua

Review: Hu Rongguo, Li Chengye