In 2016, Shannan in the Xizang Autonomous Region was officially established as a prefecture-level city, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the socialist modernization drive in the Yarlung Valley.

Over the past decade, this highland area, rich in history, has achieved historic leaps in four key areas: employment and income growth, grassroots education, rural revitalization, and transportation networks. Urban and rural landscapes have been transformed, and the lives of local residents have steadily improved.

Employment and income growth: The cornerstone of people's livelihood

Over the past ten years, Shannan has consistently prioritized increasing the incomes of farmers and herders and promoting youth employment. The city has opened up multiple channels for local employment, work opportunities in other provinces, and industrial dividends, ensuring that people of all ethnic groups have fuller wallets and greater confidence.

Data highlight this remarkable progress: the per capita disposable income of rural residents rose steadily from 8,991 yuan(RMB) in 2015 to 24,990 yuan(RMB) in 2025—an increase of nearly threefold. In 2023, it matched the national average for the first time. Through models such as "enterprises + cooperatives + farmers and herders" and "work-for-relief programs", the city has helped farmers and herders earn over 2.5 billion yuan(RMB). The North-South Mountain Greening Project has created 1,309 management and protection jobs, directly boosting local incomes by 500 million yuan(RMB). Twelve off-campus employment bases for college graduates have been established in other provinces, with the employment rate for new graduates consistently above 98% year-round. Urban zero-employment households have been dynamically eliminated.

Optimized resource allocation promotes educational equity

Over the past decade, Shannan has achieved the "basic balanced development of compulsory education at the county level", leaving behind the old reality of weak educational infrastructure in farming and pastoral areas. Children can now access quality education close to home.

Qusum County's Qusum Town Primary School exemplifies the transformation of grassroots education in Shannan over the past ten years. In Xizang, school buildings are often the most beautiful structures in farming and pastoral areas. However, in the past, local residents were reluctant to send their children to nearby schools. Although facilities were good, teaching staff was the weak link. Today, multimedia all-in-one devices connect students to high-quality classrooms elsewhere, and music, art, and science classes are all available. Through the "Everest Qiyun cloud platform", children can study the same curricula as students across the country. Bianba Tsering, head of Qusum County, says, "Now, everyone is transferring their children back to local primary schools from places like Lhasa, Nedong, or even other provinces."

Over the past decade, the number of schools in Shannan has grown from 293 to 467, forming a complete system covering preschool, primary, vocational, and special education. The gross preschool enrollment rate has risen to 98.54%, the net primary school enrollment rate remains 100%, and the compulsory education retention rate stands at 99.73%— all leading indicators in the Xizang Autonomous Region. In terms of infrastructure, "tent schools" and "horseback schools" have completely disappeared. Urban and rural schools now have uniform standards for teaching buildings, laboratories, and multimedia equipment. As for teaching staff, the number of full-time teachers has increased to 6,302, with more than 70% holding bachelor's degrees or higher. A breakthrough has been made with the first cohort of teachers holding "senior professional titles". Urban-rural teacher rotation is now routine, and 258 million yuan(RMB) in subsidies for rural teachers has helped retain educational talent at the grassroots level.

Rural revitalizationpaints apicture of harmony and beauty

Over the past decade, Shannan has focused on "building up agricultural strength, beautifying rural areas, and enriching farmers". It has safeguarded food security, cultivated high-altitude specialty industries, and addressed shortcomings in rural construction, resulting in a complete transformation of rural areas.

The city's total grain sowing area over the past decade has exceeded 7 million mu(about 466,667 hectares). In 2025, total grain output reached 177,000 tons, marking the 5th consecutive year of increased production. The coverage rate of improved highland barley seeds is 94%, the mechanization rate for plowing, sowing, and harvesting is 82.7%, and high-standard farmland has solidified the foundation of food security. Specialty industrial clusters, such as Lhunze black highland barley, Tibetan chickens, and Tibetan pigs, have grown. With 27 municipal-leading agricultural enterprises and 88 products with "three products and one standard"certifications (pollution-free agricultural products, green food, organic agricultural products, and geographical indications), agricultural and livestock products are now reaching markets beyond the plateau. A total of 4.4 billion yuan(RMB) has been invested in 189 beautiful and harmonious village projects. Five counties have been recognized as national advanced counties for village cleaning, and 86 villages have been built into beautiful, livable villages at the autonomous region level.

The transformation of Redang Village in Gyaltsab County vividly illustrates Shannan's rural revitalization efforts. Leveraging local resource advantages, Redang Village has made the walnut industry a pillar for prosperity and rural development. Villagers have increased their incomes locally, and the small walnut has become a "golden fruit" that fills wallets, effectively driving rural industrial revitalization. While developing the industry, the village has also rationally used land resources to avoid ecological damage from over-development, achieving a win-win situation for ecological protection and industrial development. Today, Redang Village has an increasingly vibrant ecological foundation.

Sangri County has attracted investment to plant nearly 10,000 mu (about 667 hectares) of grapes along the banks of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, creating the largest Vidal wine base on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, achieving both ecological protection and industrial income growth. Qonggyai County has been established as a national demonstration county for rural revitalization, with thriving highland barley wine and Tibetan handicraft industries. Shannan today boasts both "lucid waters and lush mountains" and "invaluable assets". Farmers and herders are reaping tangible happiness through ecological protection.

Well-connected transportation networks pave the way for rapid development

Since its establishment as a prefecture-level city, Shannan has broken free from the constraints of highland isolation, building a three-dimensional transportation network. The total road mileage has exceeded 10,000 kilometers. Expressways have emerged from nothing, and rural roads and border roads are now fully connected. By the end of the "14th Five-Year Plan" period (2021-2025), the total road mileage in Shannan reached 10,049 kilometers, with 90 townships and 579 administrative villages achieving 100% connectivity. A total of 430 rural road projects have been implemented, with over 3,000 kilometers newly built or upgraded, representing an investment of more than 8 billion yuan(RMB). Urban-rural bus services have been expanded. The "courier-transport integration" model in Lungze County has solved the problem of last-mile delivery in villages, reducing shipping costs by 20% and significantly improving delivery times.

For Tsering Padro, a resident of Kesong Community in Nedong District, the most profound change has been in transportation. Ten years ago, a round trip to Lhasa took a full day. Today, asphalt roads lead directly to his doorstep, and the Zegung Expressway and the Lhasa-Zetang Expressway are fully open. Now, driving his own car, Tsering Padro can reach downtown Lhasa in just two hours.

Today in the Yarlung Valley, from urban centers to rural villages, from border areas to river valleys, infrastructure continues to improve, and public services are accessible to all. People of all ethnic groups enjoy a growing sense of gain, happiness, and security. This ancient land is gathering new strength, steadily advancing toward the goals of comprehensive rural revitalization, continuous improvement in people's livelihoods, and an even more beautiful ecological environment.

Reporter: Sun Kaiyuan, Tenzin Phuntso, Wu Peitao

Translator: Zheng Yujie, Zhi Xinghua

Review: Hu Rongguo, Drakpa Wangchen