The ancient path winds. The town's gates stand tall. And the faint echo of horse hooves seems to linger.

Nestled by the Nyang River, at thefoot of Elephant Mountain, Taizhao Village inGyamdaTownship, Gongbo'gyamda County, has witnessed a thousand years of historical changes. The Tang-Tubo Ancient Road, the Ancient Tea Horse Road, and the Sichuan-Xizang Official Road converge here. The "Virtues Converge" stele, the Taishan Stone Guardian, and the ruins of the Guandi Temple bear witness to the legendary history of multi-ethnic integration.

The term "Taizhao" carries the meaning of "the first light at the dawn of the world." Its original name, "Gyamda," means "the foremost of a hundred villages" in Tibetan, both signifying "the first." This place was once an important post along the Sichuan-Xizang route.

From a bustling ancient courier station for travelers to today's model village of ethnic unity, from a remote, mountainous area reliant on its natural resources to a harmonious, livable, and prosperous village, the ancient town now exudes a new charm. Old trees sprout fresh branches, and stories of unity and development are sung and continued here.

A millennial cultural legacy fosters unity: pomegranate blossoms areuniquely red

Walking along the stone-paved road into Taizhao Village's Unity Square, a tall Tibetan-style building with white walls and floral-patterned windows comes into view. This is Xizang's first thematic exhibition hall dedicated to forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation—the Taizhao Ancient Town Exhibition Hall.

Opened in September 2023, the 1,200squaremeter exhibition space features 216 images, 7 scenes, and 11 sculptures that vividly recreate over 30 stories of "Han-Tibetan interaction."

Wandering among the images and sculptures, you feel like stepping back into history. The story of Princess Wencheng journey to Xizang, the bustlingAncient Tea Horse Road, and the legend of the Tibetan king seeking shelter from the rain leave a lasting impression. The "Virtues Converge" stele, in particular, is engraved with the benevolent deeds of Han and Tibetan officials and civilians jointly repairing roads. The old site of the 18th Army Bridge and the ancient tombs of Qing soldiers silently recount the historical imprints of shared national and familial devotion. The interactions among multiple ethnic groups and the collision of diverse cultures have nurtured Taizhao's cultural soil of "harmony in diversity."

In 2004, Shan Jinxiang, a young man from Gansu, came to Taizhao Village to build a bridge and met a Tibetan girl named Qimi. They fell in love and started a family. Over the past 20 years, Shan Jinxiang unreservedly passed on his masonry skills to six Tibetan apprentices, enabling them to increase their income and achieve prosperity through their craft. Today, Shan Jinxiang's family earns an annual income of over 100,000 yuan, living happily as a vivid reflection of "the Chinese nation as one family." "My family is benefited from ethnic unity," he remarked with deep emotion.

In Taizhao Village, there are six such families of ethnic unity like Shan Jinxiang's. The villagers of all ethnic groups are like tightly packed pomegranate seeds, loving and harmonious.

Moreover, to ensure that the flower of unity blooms perpetually, Taizhao Village organizes cultural activities such as "Singing Together for the Ancient Road" and "Sharing Butter Tea," and meticulously plans rural stage plays like Dreaming Back to Taizhao, fostering the inter-generational transmission of the spirit of ethnic unity.

The millennial cultural legacy lives on. The concept of a community "sharing weal and woe, honor and disgrace, life and death, and a common destiny" is deeply ingrained in the hearts and minds of Taizhao villagers.

Rural revitalization through shared struggle: Diversified industries boost income

Even in the depths of winter, the construction of the "Taizhao Ancient Town Ethnic Unity Town" continued unabated. At the scene, workers carried, hoisted, and welded, busy yet orderly. Soon, the villagewould become another beautiful and distinctive tourist town along the G318 highway.

In 2024, the "Taizhao Ancient Town Ethnic Unity Town" project, with a total investment of 100 million yuan(RMB), was launched. As one of the first projects in Nyingchi City to promote high-quality development and advance reform and opening-up, the town focuses on restoring the ancient street's appearance, enriching distinctive business formats, deepening interest linkages, and increasing residents' income. It integrates elements such as the ancient trading post, red history, and contemporary life, striving to make it a model project where Xizang's cultural tourism industry empowers rural revitalization.

After more than a year of construction, the ancient courier station sculptures have been newly erected, stone-paved roads cover the entire village, cultural walls are distinctive, and residential courtyards are richly imbued with Tibetan charm. This ancient post on a vital transportation route is gradually radiating new brilliance.

The project's progress has brought tangible benefits to the local villagers.

The village's "two committees" organized over 120 villagers to contribute labor, participating in construction, transportation, and machinery leasing. To date, a cumulative income increase of over 1.7 million yuan(RMB) hasbeen generated, averaging more than 14,000 yuan(RMB) per person. Upon project completion, the total income increase is expected to exceed 3 million yuan(RMB).

"Before, working away from home meant I couldn't take care of my family. Now, working in the village allows me to earn money while looking after the elderly and children. It's really great," said villager Pema with a smile.

The dividends of development come not only from project investments leveraged by historical and cultural resources but also from the collective economic industries built by villagers through hard work and ingenuity.

In June 2024, with the assistance of the resident work team, Taizhao villagers pooled 1.2 million yuan(RMB) to establish Gongbo'gyamda County's first village-level car rental service company—Taizhao Renjia Car Rental Service Company.

"The company's business covers rentals, chauffeur services, and sales, not only strengthening the collective economy butproviding employment opportunities right at our doorstep," said villager Lobsang, who is both a shareholder and an employee, earning a salary and year-end dividends. In 2025, the company's revenue reached 672,000 yuan(RMB), becoming the "main force" of the village's collective economy.

"The market changes quickly now. To succeed in business, you need flexibility and foresight. Diversified operations are essential," said Qungda, Secretary of the Taizhao Village Party Branch and Director of the Village Committee, listing village's four major collective economy projects to the reporter. In addition to the car rental company, the upgraded Tang-Xizang Ancient Road Tibetan restaurant attracts tourists with authentic Tibetan dishes, earning over 90,000 yuan(RMB) annually. The village's collective pulu (Tibetan woolen fabric) processing cooperative has revitalized this ancient craft by introducing mechanized production, generating an income of 169,000 yuan(RMB). The village's commercial property in the county town is leased out, with an annual rent of 330,000 yuan(RMB).Taizhao Village's collective economy generated a total revenue of nearly 1.3 million yuan(RMB) totally in 2025.

"Each year, we allocate 50% of the collective economy income for villager dividends, 30% as operational rolling funds, and 20% for basic livelihood support, ensuring all villagers share in the fruits of development," Qungda added. With the accelerated construction of the Unity Town, Taizhao Village's tourism industry holds great promise, and the villagers are full of anticipation for the future.

Warmth in details: A livable, workable, and happy home

"The village's Happy Farmhouse Library is now complete. The children will have a place to study and read."

"The village collective covers half of the medical insurance and pension insurance fees for villagers each year. We only need to pay the other half ourselves."

A happy life stems from thoughtful care in details. In the villagers' conversations, the reporter sensed the contentment and prosperity of Taizhao's residents.

At Taizhao Village's Rural Happiness Home, 78-year-old Chophel sits by the window, chatting and drinking tea with his old friends in a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

"This Happiness Home has become our gathering spot. In the morning, we come here to check our blood pressure and receive physiotherapy. At noon, we eat Tibetan noodles or rice dishes with our neighbors. In the afternoon, we bask in the sun in courtyard or dance Guozhuang. The day passes so easily and leisurely," Chophel said with a smile, the warm sunlight casting a rosy glow on his face.

Taizhao Village's Rural Happiness Home is a local livelihood project aimed at supporting and caring for the elderly. It provides services such as daytime care, health management, dining, and entertainment, offering seniors a better quality of life and emotional support while giving their children working away from home peace of mind. In 2023, this Happiness Home was rated as a three-star elderly care service institution at the autonomous regionlevel. Here, the elderly achieves"aging with care and joy."

No livelihood matter is trivial; every detail reflects compassion. The happiness of Taizhao villagers extends far beyond that. In 2025, Taizhao Village set up a temporary pickup and drop-off point for express delivery services, sparing villagers the hassle of handling packages. Solar-powered animal deterrent lights were installed around the village, making nighttime travel safer. The Nyingchi City Ethnic Art Troupe was invited to perform in the village, allowing residents to enjoy wonderful shows right at their doorstep.

"In recent years, the village's investment in livelihood areas has been substantial. Since 2021, the village collective has paid over 370,000 yuan(RMB) for villagers' medical, pension, and other insurance fees. It has provided financial assistance to 88 university students in the village, distributing a total of 76,000 yuan(RMB) in grants. It has encouraged 104 households in the village to exchange various daily necessities through the civilized points supermarket, with a total value of 17,200 yuan(RMB)," said Pema Yangzom, Deputy Secretary of the Taizhao Village Party Branch and Director of the Village Affairs Supervision Committee. "The purpose of the village collective's development is to benefit the villagers. Doing practical and good things for everyone, ensuring all villagers share in the fruits of development—that is the meaning of development."

Time flows, and the world develops; the ancient path embarks on a new journey, with a promising future ahead.

Traversing the corridors of history, the ancient path and its gates remain, while alongside the road, the Lhasa-Nyingchi Highway soars like a rainbow over the Nyang River, bringing vigorous development momentum to Taizhaovillage. Here, the ancient path and the modern highway converge, intertwining slowness with speed, the past with the present, and old routes with new paths, signaling the direction of development. Amid the surging tides of the new era, Taizhao, this vital transportation hub, carries its historical memories, with ethnic unity as its bond, economic development as its goal, and the happiness of its people as its foundation. It strides forward with a new posture, embarking on a broad road to revitalization.

Reporter: Liu Feng, Wang Shan, Xie Xiaochun

Translators: Zheng Yujie, Liu Fang

Review: Drakpa Wangchen, Hu Rongguo