Around March 16, the annual spring farming ceremonies gradually unfolded across various parts of southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region.

"I've been decorating the tractor for two days, trying to get a good win." Penpa Norbu, a villager in Zhaxigang Village, Xue Town, Dagze District, Lhasa City, sat on the tractor and greeted reporters happily. He said, "I hope this year will bring favorable weather and bountiful harvests."

Zhaxigang Village is located by the Lhasa River and mainly cultivates highland barley and wheat. "My family has 12 mu (8000 square meters) of land, and the seeds and fertilizers are delivered right to our doorstep. This year, we'll mainly plant highland barley," said Tashi Wangdui, who lives with his wife and two sons, one of whom works in Qamdo City and the other is pursuing a PhD. "The farming conditions are convenient now, so my wife and I are enough to manage the farm," he added.

As the golden sun slants its warm rays across the banks of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, infusing every corner with spring's vitality, the propitious moment arrives for the spring farming ceremony in Chawoqing Village, Lian Town, Sangzhuzi District, Xigaze City. Liepa, a seasoned farmer, grips a wooden plow adorned with sacred white hadas, murmurs ancestral blessings, and cracks his ox whip as he strides toward the fields. Behind him, villagers march in formation, their plows shoulder-high, their footsteps echoing the rhythm of the "two yaks lifting a yoke", plowing the first furrow of the year. In that instant when soil cascades and turns, seeds of highland barley rain down like golden droplets, carrying prayers for bountiful harvests.

At the end of the field ridges, Tsewang Dorji, a senior agronomist from Sangzhuzi District, is instructing several farmers on the technology of full mechanization in agriculture. To prepare for spring farming, the Xigaze Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau has strengthened the allocation and storage of agricultural materials, promoted the use of improved seeds, and accelerated the construction of high-standard farmland. This year, the city plans to implement a crop sowing area of 1.3967 million mu (about 931 square kilometers), including 1.0009 million mu (about 667 square kilometers) of food crops, with 0.9379 million mu (about 625 square kilometers) of highland barley.

Around 11 o'clock in the morning, crowds of people gathered in the fields of Yeba Community, Longzi County, Shannan City. A tractor decorated to resemble the traditional plowing method of "two yaks lifting a yoke" drove into the field, turning over the first furrow of fresh soil with its plow. Subsequently, five large tractors lined up in a row, roaring as their shining plows broke into the earth, and the land, which had been dormant all winter, turned over with a damp smell, awakening from its slumber. Three large seed drills merrily sped across the newly plowed field, scattering black highland barley seeds into the soil.

Yeba Community is one of the main producing areas of black highland barley in Longzi County which was recognized as the "world's largest black highland barley planting base" in 2023. It has vigorously developed the black highland barley industry, extended the industrial chain, and led the masses to increase their income.

In 2024, Longzi County's black highland barley planting area reached 30,500 mu (about 20 square kilometers), with an average annual output of 14,400 tons, according to Tashi Chodron, secretary of the Party group of Longzi County Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

"Centering around black highland barley, we have currently developed high value-added products such as black highland barley popcorn, cookies, bread, wine, and so on," said Tashi Chodron. By the end of 2024, the output value of the four main processing enterprises in the county reached 29.3 million yuan, with dividends of 225,000 yuan distributed to the local people. Since 2019, Longzi County has sold over 1,000 tons of black highland barley seeds to various counties in Xizang, generating over 6 million yuan in income for the local people, and sold over 2,700 tons of highland barley raw materials to processing enterprises both inside and outside Xizang, earning over 13 million yuan in income.

At the same time, in the fields of Apei Village, Gongbo gyamda County, Nyingchi City, villagers are following ancient traditions and holding a spring farming ceremony, praying for favorable weather and a bountiful harvest.

A single seed sown in spring yields autumn's golden abundance. The grains planted this year shall grow into plump-eared highland barley, ready to crown the snow-capped plateau with golden joy when harvest season arrives.

Reporter: Sun Kaiyuan, Sonam Chosphel, Jigme Dorje, Ma Xiaoyan, Tashi Dondrup, Tenzin Phuntsog, Xie Xiaochun, Wang Shan

Translator: Zhi Xinghua

Review: Hu Rongguo, Dong Xiuli