Xexung Town in Dengqen County, Qamdo City, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, benefits from its location along National Highway 317. In recent years, the town's Party committee and government have moved beyond reliance on caterpillar fungus collection and traditional animal husbandry, building an industrial system that integrates facility agriculture, specialty farming, livestock breeding, cultural tourism, and the collective economy. This "four-wheel drive, multi-sector income" approach has driven rural revitalization.

In 2025, the town's collective economy achieved an annual revenue of over 1.71 million yuan (≈US$236,000), signaling a clear shift from dependence on favorable weather. Once reliant on fungus harvesting and highland barley farming, this highland village now embraces the year with renewed momentum from diversified industries.

Today, Xexung Town shows clear signs of industrial vitality: vegetable greenhouses in Xiemai Village supply fresh produce for the booming market; the Dengqen Agricultural Industrial Park revitalizes the winter countryside through integrated agriculture, culture, and tourism; In the livestock farm, cattle and sheep grow strong and sturdy, promising higher incomes. These collectively-run projects—spanning industrial services, specialty farming, and modern agriculture—serve as powerful engines of rural development.

The greenhouses in Xiemai Village exemplify the town's industrial transformation. Through a "government + enterprise + cooperative" model, the village introduced professional management teams, improved soil, upgraded irrigation, and introduced better crop varieties. This not only yields organic cucumbers, cabbages, and other vegetables but also provides over a dozen villagers with local jobs.

Norbu, a villager of Xiemai Village, has personally witnessed these changes. He works at the Dengqen Agricultural Industrial Park and is a skilled greenhouse grower. "In 2017, I joined the cooperative planting base as a driver, mainly delivering goods. Later, I learned crop cultivation. With guidance from my mentor and my own efforts, I gradually mastered many techniques and now teach others," he said, packing strawberries in the greenhouse. His wife also works on-site, and together they earn nearly 7,000 yuan (≈US$970) per month, freeing them from past income uncertainty. This year, their holiday shopping list is longer than ever.

Supported by aid from Tianjin Municipality, the Dengqen Agricultural Industrial Park has turned the dream of "land yielding gold" into reality. Combining greenhouses, camping experiences, and a specialty market, this agritourism complex provides villagers with land lease income, stable jobs, and year-end dividends.

Guo Zhilu, deputy Party secretary and head of Xexung Town, explained, "We pooled 200 mu (≈13.3 hectares) of idle land for centralized transfer, developing both high-efficiency agriculture and rural tourism. Last year alone, our camping site received over 10,000 visitors, directly benefiting 300 households. Land transfer brings an extra 1,500 yuan (≈US$218) per mu (1mu≈666.7㎡) annually."

In 2025, each household received several thousand yuan from collective economy dividends. Beyond dividends, projects like the greenhouses and agricultural park have absorbed a large local workforce, enabling villagers to work close to home.

From a single industry to an integrated cluster, from modest earnings to shared prosperity, Xexung Town's transformation offers a vivid snapshot of rural revitalization in Dengqen County.

Reporter: Phuntsog Lamgyel, Drolkar

Translator: Yang Xiaofeng, Zhi Xinghua

Review: Hu Rongguo, Drakpa Wangchen