In the midsummer of July, during a field interview activity marking the 10th anniversary of Shannan's upgrade from a prefecture to a city, journalists visited areas along the Yarlung Zangbo River. From harvesting to carving, from craft workshops to public squares, local residents were fully engaged in their work, and a down-to-earth yet vibrant vitality could be felt everywhere.

The fields of Gyaca: Agricultural machinery replaces manual labor, walnuts become a industry

Arriving at Gaji Village, Ngarab Town, Gyaca County, the grass by the roadside was still beaded with dew. Villagers were busy in the fields, wielding small harvesters; a few rounds and the golden waves of barley fell gently before the machine.

While tying up bundles of highland barley, villager Tashi Dundrup said with a smile, "When we were young, we harvested highland barley entirely by hand. The work was so strenuous that our ached so badly we could barely straighten up after a long day. Now machines make the work much easier. We use small harvesters on narrow terraced fields and large models on contiguous flat plots, which saves a huge amount of time and effort." He then pointed to the children trailing behind the adults, picking up stray barley grains, and added, "Now the kids just come to the fields to hang out for fun."

The village committee courtyard had become a temporary threshing ground. Amid the roar of modern farm machinery, the barley was threshed at a speed that felt almost surreal.

At noon, the reporters arrived at the thousand-year-old walnut grove in Gayu Village, Ngarab Town. More than 3,600 ancient trees stood quietly in the sunlight.

Newly laid stone pathways wound through the grove, and green walnuts hung thick on the branches. A local resident named Drolma brought out a plate of walnuts, and everyone who tasted them couldn't help exclaiming, "the thin-shelled walnuts here are so oily and sweet.."

"We didn't know how to properly manage the trees in the past, so the walnuts grew sparsely and we couldn't sell them for a decent price," Drolma said, talking about the county's walnut processing plant. "Now things are different. We can easily get the walnuts shelled, dried and pressed into oil. We can sell them for a good price without even leaving the mountains."

In the old days, people had valuable resources but lacked the know-how to make good use of them. Now, the local government has partnered with Yangtze University to establish the Plateau Walnut Industry Research Institute, which selects high-quality provenances from ancient trees for grafting and cultivation. Through the joint efforts of all parties, the walnut planting area in Gyaca County has expanded to 45,000 mu (about 30km²), with more than 520,000 trees, an annual output of 1,200 tons, and an output value exceeding 80 million yuan. The plump walnut kernels hold the tangible benefits brought by a complete industrial chain.

The workshops of Zhanang: Market reach for Pulu woolen fabrics

From Gyaca to Zhanang, the highland barley along the road turned from golden to green as the altitude increased. The reporters then arrived at the Zhanang County Louse Carving Craft Farmers' Cooperative.

The door of the cooperative's manual workshop was wide open, and the scent of sawdust filled the air. Wood carving master Sangye Wangchug sat at his workbench, fully focused. His carving knife moved nimbly across the wood, and even the antennae of a carved louse were rendered with extreme precision.

Sangye Wangchug's father, Pema Dradul, stood behind his son for a while, watching quietly. He did not say a word, but simply nodded before walking away. Sangye Wangchug knew this was recognition from his father, a national-level representative inheritor of intangible cultural heritage.

At the adjacent work station, another wood carving master was hard at work. Sangye Wangchug introduced that this artisan started learning the craft at the age of 16 and has 10 years of experience. "We all started by carving lice. Now we can complete independent works, but we still carve lice from time to time. These pieces are not for sale -- we make them purely to train our concentration and patience. This craft cannot be mastered without great perseverance."

"We sit for a whole day. Some works take half a month or a full month to carve, while others can be finished in three to five days," another master added. "Wood carving takes a lot of time, but the selling prices are quite rewarding. When there are many orders, we even stay up late working because we don't want to pause."

More importantly, the cooperative now collaborates with the Zhanang Vocational Education Center to provide free skills training for unemployed young people. The "enterprise + school + base" model allows young people to earn a living with their craftsmanship without leaving their hometowns.

After departing the workshop filled with the aroma of wood, the reporters traveled to Shigong Village, Zhatang Town, Zhanang County.

Inside a local residence, a staff member named Chodron moved her fingers nimbly, operating the loom nonstop as the shuttle wove back and forth. "Some of the weavers work in the cooperative, while others can complete their tasks at home," the accompanying person in charge of the cooperative explained. "In the past, Pulu woolen fabrics were only woven for the weavers' own use. Now the cooperative uniformly purchases the products and sells them to outside markets. We cannot let this time-honored craft fade away, nor can we let the artisans struggle to make ends meet. Now young people are willing to learn the skill, and they can earn a stable income from it."

The opera stage in Nedong: Tibetan opera attracts tourists, homestays boost local prosperity

At the end of the visit, the reporters arrived at the foot of Yumbulhakang, where Saresuodang -- the first cultivated farmland in Xizang -- stretches out smoothly. More than 2,100 years ago, Tibetan ancestors reclaimed and farmed this land. Today, the highland barley grown here is still plump and full.

The Yumbulhakang Palace on the mountain top remains simple and well-preserved, while newly added wooden viewing platforms and plank roads offer visitors a better panoramic view. Mr. Zhang, a tourist from Sichuan Province, stood on the viewing platform taking photos with his phone, and kept exclaiming, "it's truly remarkable that a thousand-year-old ancient castle can be preserved in such good condition."

What surprised him even more was the Tibetan opera performance in Tashi Choden Community at the foot of the mountain.

As night fell, a bonfire was lit on the public square. The Yarlung Tashi Xoiba Tibetan Opera began, with performers in yellow masks delivering powerful, vigorous dance moves accompanied by resonant drumbeats. The crowd of local residents and tourists watching the performance grew larger and larger.

Under the mask, the performer Awang Norbu was sweating profusely, but he executed every movement with meticulous care. After graduating from university, he joined the Tibetan opera troupe. Now he can increase his income by performing right in his hometown, without having to seek jobs in other cities.

"In the past, few people watched Tibetan opera, and young people were unwilling to learn it," Awang Norbu said after removing his opera mask and catching his breath following the performance. "Now things are completely different. Tourists love to watch the shows, and children in the community are eager to sign up to learn the art."

Nyima Tsering, the head of the Tibetan opera troupe, said, "we are not just putting on performances -- we are inheriting this outstanding cultural heritage. Young performers have been trained in the art from childhood, so the ancient Tibetan opera has never been interrupted. Instead, it is being carried forward with growing vitality."

Tashi Choden Community is known as"the first village of Tibetan Opera". This national intangible cultural heritage, which has been passed down for more than 600 years, is now thriving under the innovative "Tibetan opera + homestay" development model.

In 2020, the community launched its homestay industry. It started with 7 Party members taking the lead, and has now expanded to 85 homestays, accounting for over 60% of all households in the community, with more than 120 young people returning to their hometowns to start their own businesses. Community officials introduced that homestay revenues have been increasing year by year. "The Hubei Aid-Xizang Work Team has invested more than 50 million yuan in total to help us build roads, upgrade water supply systems, and construct public squares."

Over the 10 years since Shannan was upgraded from a prefecture to a city, highland barley has ripened crop after crop, carving knives have made precise cut after cut, and Tibetan opera has been passed down from generation to generation. The people of the Yarlung region still hold fast to their land, their traditional crafts, and their cultural stages -- but the way they uphold these traditions has been completely transformed. They now have modern farming tools in their hands, access to expanded markets in their minds, and a clear vision for a brighter future ahead.

Reporter: Wu Peitao

Intern Reporter: Song Haiyan

Translator: Luo Rongting, Zhi Xinghua

Review: Hu Rongguo, Drakpa Wangchen