The 2025 Digital Literacy and Skills Enhancement Month of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region has officially commenced. Over the coming month, various activities including skills training sessions and digital literacy lectures for rural communities will be organized across the region, aiming to bring digital benefits to farmers and herdsmen.

At the launch ceremony, Tenzin, a farmer from Ma Town in Doilungdeqen District and a local Party member, took the stage to share his experiences in "My Digital Life." "In the past, paying electricity bills or recharging my phone required a motorcycle ride to the county town," he said in his earnest manner, describing the inconveniences of before. "Now it's completely different. I can handle payments with just a tap on my phone app. For online shopping, I can pick up my orders right in the village." Speaking about information access, Tenzin became more animated: "We used to rely on TV for information, with limited access to agricultural techniques. Now, news apps push national policies and new farming technologies in real time. Our village WeChat group has become a 'cloud classroom' where we can share and exchange knowledge anytime, breaking geographical barriers."

The changes Tenzin described reflect the achievements of digital Xizang construction. In recent years, over 18,000 5G base stations have been built across the plateau, achieving 87% coverage in administrative villages. All 21 border county towns now have access to both 5G and gigabit optical networks, while 164 border townships have full 5G coverage, paving a "digital highway" for rural areas. The digital economy has flourished, with rural e-commerce retail sales reaching 4.48 billion yuan(RMB) in 2024, extending digital dividends from cities to farming and pastoral regions.

Following Tenzin's speech, a young voice captured the audience's attention. Sherab Drolma, a third-grader from Lhasa's Chengguan District Ninth Primary School, took the stage to share her "magical" experiences with digital classrooms. "Wearing VR glasses, I can listen to lectures on the Analects of Confucius and explore the mysteries of the universe. The textbook knowledge suddenly becomes so clear," she said, her words brimming with wonder and appreciation. Today, digital classrooms have broken the boundaries of traditional education, allowing plateau students' thirst for knowledge to soar on "digital wings" into broader horizons.

At the event's digital technology exhibition area, crowds gathered enthusiastically. In front of the Xizang Autonomous Region Employment Service Center's booth, Lhasa resident Wangdul tried out the "Digital Gig Work Market" mini-program. After completing the process, he remarked with feeling: "After registering an account, you can either look for work as a laborer or hire workers as an employer. The job locations and salaries are all clearly listed. Finding work can now be done right on your phone - it's incredibly convenient!"

The AI job-seeking kiosk also drew considerable attention. By simply inputting work experience, the AI can quickly generate a personalized profile and optimize resumes. Job seekers can also use voice commands to learn about policies and scan QR codes to apply for positions online, completely bypassing cumbersome offline application processes.

This event served as a window, allowing everyone to see how digital technology is taking root on the plateau. In the coming days, skills training and village lectures will bring these conveniences to vast farming and pastoral areas. Farmers and herdsmen will be able to use their phones to learn modern cultivation and breeding techniques, while children can interact with the world through screens... These seemingly small changes, like countless tiny streams, are converging into a powerful force driving high-quality development across the plateau.

Reporter: Tenzin Langsel

Translator: Liu Fang

Review: Purbu Tsering, Dong Xiuli