Gatod Village in Chob Township, Dingkye County, XigazeCity, situated at an altitude of 4,300 meters, is one of the areas recovering and rebuilding after the 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Dingri.

During a visit to villager Sonam's home, a special "photo" on the cabinet caught the attention of the resident working team – it was a color-printed copy of an ID card. Upon inquiry, they learned that this Tibetan man in his fifties had not had a single photo taken since his ID picture was taken several years ago.

"Many elderly people in the village are the same," explained Tsering Phuntsok, Party Branch Secretary of GatodVillage. "Apart from ID photos, they have almost no other pictures."

This discovery planted the seed for an idea within the resident working team: to organize a comprehensive photography initiative for all villagers during the XigazeAgricultural New Year, capturing a village-wide group photo, a family portrait for each household, and individual headshots for every person.

On the day of the shoot, the sun shone brightly under a crystal-clear blue sky. Villagers dressed in their most splendid Tibetan attire, with the women adorning treasured coral and turquoise jewelry.Many elderly residents were led by their children to the site, with faces showing a mix of shyness and anticipation.

"Grandpa, smile!" the village's first secretary encouraged in slightly halting Tibetan.

In front of the camera, Sonam straightened his collar, looking a bit nervous. As the shutter clicked, a slight smile lifted the corners of his mouth.

Within a few days, the developed photos were carefully placed into frames.

The village-wide group portrait now hangs in the most prominent spot in the village committee building. The 33 households stand closely together, with an electronic banner in the background reading: "One Village, One Heart, One Family, One Strength."

The 33 family portraits were delivered to each home, and the individual headshots were handed to each person.

“Seeing their own photos, many elderly villagers caressed them again and again.” said Dzongpa, a member of the resident working team. Some wanted to send the pictures to their children living far away, while others wanted to leave them for their grandchildren, so they would remember what they look like now.

From the collective to the family to the individual, these three levels of imagery, for the first time, completely documented the appearance of this village.

The significance of these images goes far beyond mere commemoration. "Years from now, when people look back at these pictures, they will see not just a collection of faces, but a piece of history, the footprints of a village reborn from disaster and moving forward with the times," reflected Pubu Butri, another member of the resident working team.

From a single ID copy to a complete set of family images, the story behind GatodVillage's "33 family portraits" reflects a microcosm of rural change on the plateau. As infrastructure improves day by day and housing conditions get better, those needs concerning emotion and memory, deeply rooted in the fabric of daily life, are also being seen, valued, and fulfilled.

Reporter: Yang Ziyan

Translator: Dan Zhen, Liu Fang

Review: Hu Rongguo, Drakpa Wangchen