Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

Here you can find Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region's first farmland,MKsport a field in the village of Sare; its first village, Yarlung Suoka; its first palace, Yumbu Lhakhang; and its first Tibetan opera, Bagabu. These numerous "firsts" have established the Nedong district in Xizang's Shannan city as a profound source of Tibetan culture. 

Nedong serves as the political, economic, cultural, and transportation hub of Shannan. Nestled south of the majestic Gangdise Mountains and amid the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, Nedong presents a landscape rich in natural beauty and Tibetan heritage. In recent years, by embracing local resources and support policies, industries of both tradition and modernity have risen to fame.

Weaving a better life

Tsethang serge is a manual skill, traditional folk art, and an excellent aspect of ethnic culture. Pasang, an inheritor of Thangka (Tibetan Buddhist paintings on cotton or silk applique), has carried out the work of rescuing and inheriting this endangered national woolen weaving craft. He has set up a cooperative and recruited skilled craftsmen to train more inheritors. 

After years of effort, the Tsethang serge hand-weaving craft, which was on the brink of extinction, has been successfully preserved and a Tsethang serge trademark officially registered.  

New-style Tibetan clothing debuted on the stage of the "Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage Fashion Show" during a 2019 fashion event in Beijing. Using clothing as a medium, designers express a unique understanding of Chinese culture, fully displaying the optimistic spirit of the Tibetan people and their yearning for a better life. Now the cooperative's products include Tibetan clothing, scarves, shawls and more. With its mature industrial chain, products are sold both domestically and internationally.

Besides cultural and economic returns, social benefits have begun to emerge. The initiative has provided long-term stable employment for 127 people, including 32 people with disabilities and 79 individuals relocated from registered impoverished households. The average annual income increased by 36,000 yuan ($5,090) per person, and 42 people from disadvantaged families have been paired up in order to receive assistance. 

The industry has also stimulated the production, sales, washing, carding, and sewing of wool and cashmere in the pastoral areas of the entire region, promoting the transfer of labor and alleviating employment pressure and social burdens on local farmers who have lost their land.

Buzzing bees

Nedong district boasts pristine forests at the foot of the Himalayas. It has pure water sources and abundant sunlight. It is also where more than 2,000 types of medicinal nectar plants grow, making it a "golden nectar source." 

In addition, Xizang's unique climate has allowed bees to stay far away from varroa mites. These mites can cause a disease that can cause severe losses for beekeeping production and even lead to the death of the entire colony, said Zhang Liangfu, the founder of the Night Buzzer Cultural Tourism Development Co Ltd, which focuses on beekeeping on the Tibetan Plateau and aims to create a world-class brand for Tibetan honey. 

The company's main products include honey, royal jelly, honey facial masks, and honey craft beer. ­Operating in the cities of Shannan and Xigaze, it has 8,106 beehives, ­making it the largest beekeeping enterprise in the region. 

With a total investment of 20 million yuan, the company has also established a 200-hectare Tibet bee culture ecological park to develop cultural tourism, integrating outdoor education, experiential learning, cuisine and characteristic accommodations shaped like ­honeycombs. In 2023, high-quality honey production exceeded 120 tons, with sales reaching 36 million yuan, driving an increase in income for 4,791 herders and farmers by more than 6 million yuan. The bee industry has become essential for rural revitalization and increasing income in Shannan. 

At present, the number of bee colonies accounts for about 70 percent of the whole region, forming a mature industry chain of production and sales integration. Annual production of high-quality honey currently exceeds 3,000 tons with a value of more than 100 million yuan, and drives an increase in income for nearly 18,000 people. This has created a prosperous path for local people, combining beekeeping with ecology and science.

Small eggs drive big industry

Operating the largest chicken farm to be located 3,800 meters above sea level, the Xizang Hongnong Agricultural Development Co is a crucial investment project in Shannan. 

It was established by the Wuhan Hongnong Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Company with a registered capital of 100 million yuan. 

With Tibetan chicken breeding as its core business, the company has established a complete industry chain operation model that includes feed ­processing, egg sorting and packaging, and organic fertilizer production, achieving modern, efficient, energy-saving, and environmentally friendly circular agriculture. In 2023, the company's inventory reached 820,000 chickens, with an annual output of 134 million yuan. 

The second phase of Xizang ­Hongnong's investment project entered the equipment installation stage in October 2023 and is planned to be operational in November. 

The Xizang Hongnong Co, with the support of funding from Central China's Hubei Province and industrial poverty alleviation funds, has actively explored the "Enclave Economy Pattern," getting 20 poor villages of Shannan involved in Tibetan chicken breeding. 

Each village can increase its income by more than 200,000 yuan annually, benefiting more than 10,000 ­households. By December 2023, it had cumulatively driven an increase in revenue of 34 million yuan for farmers in the area.

Promoting the deep integration of agriculture, culture, and tourism and embracing modern technology and ­support policy, Nedong cultivates new business forms such as ecological sightseeing, health and leisure, and intangible cultural heritage creative industries. 

Through innovation and cooperative models, Nedong continuously advances industrial revitalization, cultural heritage, and environmental protection, contributing to local economic development and social progress.

The author is a faculty member with the School of Applied Economics, Renmin University of China. [email protected]