A,Day,Spent,in,Tsakhalho in ho

　　 Entering the Village on the Pickup Truck 　　March is the sunny season in Chamdo Prefecture of Tibet. The River Lancang J iang fl ows endlessly past near your feet. The wind was blowing in my face as I stood on a truck for a visit to the village inhabited with Tibetan people along a narrow zigzagging mountain road. The village is situated opposite the River Lancang J iang.
　　Several days ago the team leader dispatched by Chongqing Municipality, under the program of supporting Tibet, formally announced that support had been launched especially for Markham County of Chamdo. With my special skills regarding the media and fi ling, I naturally became one of the team members.
　　The weather was complicated – sometimes the wind blew falling snow; at other times strong sunlight blazed down. The vehicles were pitching and rolling along the National Road from Sichuan to Tibet. I gradually felt uneasy in my stomach. I have been working with the media throughout inland China for over ten years and experienced many trekking journeys, but I have never had any problems with carsickness. However, in these highlands, my body never seemed to follow my expectations. So it was with Ms. Liu – a girl from Sichuan who works with me in the same offi ce. She told me about the diffi cult situation she faced when she returned by bus to her hometown – Nanchong of Sichuan Province. She traveled from Tibet University in Lhasa, where she was studying, to Gelmud… and then took the train to her hometown. She said, when the bus arrived at the mountain pass of Tanggula Shankou, she could not help fainting.
　　The project site for Chongqing Municipality is located at Markham County, which is about 500 kilometers away from Chamdo. Setting off in the early morning, we traveled through Sichuan-Tibet road and finally enter the Yunnan-Tibet road at dark. Crossing over Mt. Hor La, the route from Yunnan to Tibet becomes a long descent of tens of kilometers. On March 12th, after photographing the opening ceremony of the project, I took the opportunity to walk around of the village to experience Tibetan lifestyle. This was good luck for me as I got a lift with a truck that was on its way to the village when I stood at the side of the zigzagging road alongside the River Lancang J iang . I jumped into the truck and rapaciously breathed in the fresh air. This was at 2600 meters above sea level. The air had a fresh and distinct fragrance spring. Suddenly I found someone held my right and left legs. Looking down, a young Tibetan man and woman were sitting in the truck. They were smiling at me and were actually worried about my unstable situation while standing in the truck.
　　
　　 Staying overnight alongside the River Lancang J iang
　　River Lancang J iang surrounds the Tibetan village. It is a traditional village situated at Gyada Administrative Village in Naxi Town of Markham County in Chamdo Prefecture.
　　Crossing the green wheat fields and then passing through clusters of white Tibetan-style houses, I arrived at the village administrative offi ce of Gyada Village. This is a four-quarter style house. Once they understood the reason for my arrival, the local village cadres welcomed me. They brought timber to build a temporary bed for me. In the night, we had a long talk until we fi nally fell asleep.
　　There are four cadres in the village but on the day I arrived I only met two of them. One, with the family name of Gong, was the team leader and from Yubei District of Chongqing Municipality. He graduated from university in inland China in the 1990s and then came to Tibet to provide service. The other cadre was Degyi who originated from the upper Tsakhalho on the opposite of River Lancang J iang. She had just graduated from Huazhong Agriculture University.
　　Mr. Gong had obviously red checks due to living in the highlands with strong sunlight. After living over ten years in the highlands, his prominent facial appearance as a Chongqing person has almost disappeared. In the 1990s, Chamdo Prefecture of Tibet Autonomous Region recruited a group of teachers from university graduates in inland China. Mr. Gong, together with tens other graduates of Chongqing, came to the highlands. Gradually, he learnt Tibetan. Now he easily commands the Tibetan language and has almost become a local Tibetan.
　　“Where is your child?” I couldn’t help asking him.“He is studying in a primary school in Chongqing Municipality.” Speaking of family and child, Mr. Gong appeared a little bit unhappy because his wife just divorced with him several months ago and he had not told his son until today. He said he was afraid to tell him. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau covers a wide area. It causes many difficulties for families who cannot live together.
　　Mr. Gong observed that he would soon be released from such domestic pressures and would like to work harder in his service for Tibet. After he was appointed to work for the village, he led his team to solve all kinds of problems, such as dealing with accountancy issues and electricity shortages during the drying season. The team worked hard and got the full support of local villagers. Through the meditation of various parts, the confl ict caused by electricity shortage between villagers has been solved. The villagers now prefer to come to the work team whenever and wherever they met diffi culties. While solving problems for the local villagers, the team is welcomed by the locals who treat them as their family members. The mutual trust between them is deeply rooted.
　　Degyi said that she had four siblings. Both her elder and younger brothers are very naughty, and they don’t like to study even though the locals enjoy a totally free education policy. However, Degyi, as well as her elder sister, seize the opportunity by studying hard. As a result, they both were employed as public servants. Nowadays, graduates from universities were required to provide service at village level in order to integrate their knowledge and experience in community as well as enhancing their capacity and ability in management and administration.
　　Early next morning, Degyi prepared my breakfast, a bowl of milk dregs and two pancakes made of buckwheat.
　　
　　 The Legend Prevails in the Salt Fields
　　This is a junction for three provinces: Tibet, Yunnan and Sichuan. About 1300-odd years ago, locals discovered the salt brine at the edges of River Lancang J iang. From this discovery people learned that salt could be harvested and because of this salt the formerly impoverished area gradually became a key location on the ancient of tea-horse route. This spot became today’s Tsalhalho of Markham in Tibet Autonomous Region. Even tens of years ago, its name was Tsakhalho County. The salt produced in Tsakhalho is mainly from Gyada Village. The red salt produced in Gyada Village is especially popular in Khamba region.
　　In a beautiful Tibetan style house in Gyada Village, a 66-year-old Yeshe Drama told us the stories about the village. Mr. Gong’s translation with his comments gave me a full understanding of the village tales.
　　Yeshe Drama has good health. The four members of her family own a total of one fifth ha. of land and 31 salt fields. The farming land has two seasons for grains: barley and wheat. All their production of grain can supply the whole family plus some extra. The 31 salt fields earn 20 thousand Yuan a year. Mr. Gong observed that almost 90 households in the traditional village had the same income as Yeshe Drama, representing the majority of the village. About 20 households have salt fields but no farming land. Concerning the limited production of these saltproducing individuals, as well as the changing price of salt in the market, the local government takes special care of these 20 salt-producing households by listing them under a special group in order to solve their income problems.
　　
　　Yeshe Drama guided us to the side of River Lancang J iang. Along the steep riverbank, there were overlapping salt fields. For thousands of years, women have climbed the steep cliff along the river then built the timber platforms where salt fields are located, which it makes the view magnificent. Yeshe Drama started the water pump and the white water immediately gushed. “In the past, we were used to carrying water with wooden baskets. One basket could only earned one cent. Nowadays, since electricity has been introduced, we have been released from overwork.” While speaking of this, Yeshe Drama had a happy expression on her whether-beaten face. Outsiders may think these arrays of electricity polls have degraded the natural scenery, but in fact the availability of electricity helps tremendously to release the local women from drudgery and overwork.
　　 Accelerating Development under the Policy of Opening-up
　　Along the narrow zigzagging road to Gyada Village, a wooden bridge appeared before us. The shaking bridge is about three meters in width, which can only allow some light vehicles to pass through. Nails fixing the bridge have come out, resulting in lines of cracks through which the fl owing River Lancang J iang can be seen.
　　“After this summer, you will not see such a dangerous bridge again!” Yeshe Drama and Mr. Gong pointed out the salt fi elds on the opposite riverbank with excitement:“Look at this, the foundation for the cement bridge has already been erected and the bridge will be built in about J uly or August.” The government has provided about one million Yuan to build this bridge in order to give Gyada Village access to other places. Then, all kinds of vehicles can pass through to reach Gyada Village.
　　In addition, on March 12th, the new village project along the No. 214 National Road at Markham County of Chamdo, which was supported by Chongqing Municipality from its sixth round of supporting Tibetan projects, started working. The total investment in this project is 24 million Yuan. It can access seven villages within 110 kilometers along National Road 214. Gyada Village is one of the seven villages. Under the projects, all villages are supported to provide investment in the construction of village roads, cultural corridors, rubbish disposal and public cultural venues.
　　In the next afternoon of my visit, as I passed through the beautiful house of Yeshe Drama, I found there was an advertisement plate set up right front of her Tibetan style house, which read “Tibetan style accommodation”. On asking, I discovered this was a kind of household-based hotel that has provided accommodation to tourists since the local government has decided to explore the local tourism industry through contracting out small business in partnership with some big enterprises. Maybe one day, Gyada Village will become well-known tourist spot, like Shangri-la and Lijiang. If it was that case, the locallyproduced walnuts would have no diffi culty for sale; the ground can also be switched to grow grapes and brew wine; the hot salt brine can be used not only to solar salt bar, you can also engage in salt bath…Yeshe Drama and local people realize this is an unprecedented opportunity to change their lives in the coming future; therefore, they were preparing for this change.
　　I left Gyada Village full of satisfaction and high hopes. I believe that with help and initiatives from the groups of cadres from inland China (under the program for supporting Tibet) who are working with local Tibetan cadres, the sleeping town of salt-producing Tsakhalho will soon awake and face a completely new spring.