Prosperity blooms with the peach flowers: Xi’s letter affirms Xizang villagers’ success in rural revitalization, ethnic solidarity
Editor's Note:
Chinese people believe that letters are as valuable as gold. For thousands of years, letters, across mountains and oceans, have been delivering the writers' sentiments and conveying friendship and expectations.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, has managed to find time to reply to some letters from different sectors of the society and different parts of the world despite his busy work schedule.
Through his letters, Xi has corresponded with people from all walks of life on numerous occasions, part of a series of excellent stories of China in the new era.
Therefore, the Global Times traced and contacted some of the recipients of Xi's letters to hear the inspiring stories behind the letters and their communications with the Chinese President.
In this installment, villagers from a picturesque mountain village in Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region received a reply letter from Xi. In recent years, the village has stood out for its achievements in tourism, a collective economy, and ethnic unity, and Xi's words have further strengthened their resolve to build a better life in the new era.
As soft summer sunlight filtered through the branches of blooming peach trees in a highland village nestled beneath snowcapped peaks, the people of Galai village in Nyingchi, Xizang received a message that warmed their hearts even more than the season itself.
President Xi Jinping on June 29 urged residents of the village to uphold ethnic solidarity and create a happier and better life.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, put forward his expectations in a reply letter to residents of the village in Nyingchi, where he paid a visit in July 2021.
"Learning that the village has undergone new changes in recent years and villagers' incomes have increased, I feel happy for you," Xi wrote in the letter.
Xi also voiced his hope that the villagers will, under the guidance of the Party's policies to develop border areas and improve people's lives, do an even better job in protecting the natural beauty of the plateau region, developing the village's tourist brand, and contributing to building a prosperous and stable border area.
Previously, all residents of Galai village wrote a letter to Xi to report on the village's development and changes, and to express their gratitude and determination to forge ahead in creating an even better life, according to Xinhua.
A family's good life
"When he visited my home four years ago, it gave me lasting motivation to keep striving forward," Dawa Gyaltsen, a villager in Galai village, said. "Thanks to the Party's favorable policies to enrich and develop border areas, we now have more opportunities. With such good policies in place, we are more driven than ever to seize opportunities and improve our income."
In July 2021, Xi visited the village of Galai for the 70th anniversary of Xizang's peaceful liberation. He went to the home of Dawa Gyaltsen and chatted with the family in the living room, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Xi said the village epitomizes the economic and social achievements Xizang has made over 70 years since its peaceful liberation. He also hailed the village as a model of ethnic unity.
"When he visited my home, he asked very detailed questions about various aspects of our lives. I was surprised by his caring," Dawa told the Global Times, expressing his gratitude over Xi's tender care.
Galai village is situated at an altitude of 2,900 meters. Every spring, more than 1,200 wild peach trees bloom in succession, creating an enchanting landscape.
Leveraging this unique resource, the village has developed its tourism industry. In 2022, the village's tourism income reached 4.6 million yuan ($640,000), and all 33 households in the village received dividends, including Dawa Gyaltsen's family.
In addition to running a transportation business, Dawa Gyaltsen earned over 100,000 yuan from 27 acres of leased land and the sale of specialty agricultural and pastoral products from 40 heads of livestock. His family's total annual income reached 350,000 yuan ($48,000) that year.
Because he frequently drives goods to the urban area, Dawa Gyaltsen has witnessed the changes in the city's transformation firsthand. "The urban area is expanding rapidly, the streets are cleaner and better organized, and our wallets are getting heavier," he said with a smile. "Seeing how the city of Nyingchi has been revitalized, and knowing I took part in some of the revitalization process."
With a stronger family foundation and greater financial stability, the younger generation in Gala Village now has more opportunities to pursue their dreams.
The living room wall in their home is adorned with certificates and awards earned by his daughter and son, ranging from academic achievements to handwriting and sports competitions.
Dawa Gyaltsen's son, Phupa Tsering, has loved sports since childhood. In 2023, he was admitted to the Xizang Sports School. "We have great facilities for both study and training," he said. "There are excellent sports venues, and I get many chances to train professionally. My dream is to become a professional athlete, and I will make full use of what I have now to achieve it."
Welcome to our village
"Hot water is available 24 hours a day, and the Wi-Fi password is 66666597," Tseyang always reminds guests when they check in.
Her kitchen countertop is neatly arranged with modern appliances, including a rice cooker, an electric butter tea maker, a water boiler, and a gas stove. With practiced ease, she operates the electric machines.
"It only takes a few minutes to make fresh butter tea, which is a favorite among guests," she said.
In March 2021, Tseyang transformed 10 rooms in her home into the first homestay in Gala Village. "In recent years, the village has continued to invest in infrastructure - new skywalks and trails have been built, and the visitor center and parking areas have been upgraded," she said. "In the past, the roads turned muddy whenever it rained, and basic infrastructure was lacking. We had frequent water and electricity outages. Life was inconvenient." This situation not only made life difficult for villagers, but also discouraged tourists from coming.
Things began to change in 2020, when the local culture and tourism bureau in Bayi district launched a boutique homestay development project. Tseyang's home was selected. "After renovations, our facilities improved a lot, and we've welcomed more and more tourists," she said. The homestay now features private bathrooms, internet access, and 24-hour hot and cold water.
"We have planted many fruit trees in the courtyard - flowers bloom in spring, there's shade in the summer, and fruit in autumn. The beautiful courtyard itself has become a unique attraction," she added with a smile.
Like Tseyang, many villagers have benefited from the village's infrastructure improvements, which have opened the door to tourism and prosperity. In recent years, Galai village has actively promoted the "courtyard economy" and the idea of "tourism plus," encouraging families to make full use of their traditional Tibetan courtyards. All 33 households now grow fruit trees, and 13 have launched homestays, gaining tangible benefits from tourism.
In addition to tourism and fruit-picking experiences, Galai village has also grown its collective economy. In recent years, the village's annual income has exceeded 14 million yuan ($1.9 million). "As long as we work steadily, step by step, a happy future is within reach," said Tseyang.
Dedication on the plateau
"Galai" means "village under the white rock" in Tibetan.
It used to be halfway up a mountain and suffered from water shortages, explained Huang Haifen, a former resident official of Galai Village. "Thanks to the Party's policies, Galai Village was relocated to a spot beside the highway. It now sits next to National Highway 318 and is only 12 kilometers from the city center. The transformation of the village reflects how the economic and social development of Xizang has advanced under the leadership of the Party."
A native of South China's Guangdong Province, Huang arrived in Galai in 2021. One of her tasks was to help establish the village's exhibition center. "To create a proper exhibition, I had to understand the village's history," she said. To locate the original site of the village, she hiked rugged mountain paths repeatedly.
Her sincerity earned her the affection of many villagers.
"Whenever fruits in the village ripen, I'm always among the first to get a taste," she said. "And whenever there's something difficult to deal with, village officials still come to ask for my advice."
While stationed in the village, Huang learned that the success of the Peach Blossom Festival was closely tied to another aid official from South China's Guangdong Province, Sun Shihong. He had conducted multiple field surveys and proposed a development model that integrated tourism resources and promoted a village-wide approach.
With efforts from both local officials and aid teams, Galai was equipped with paved roads, a visitor center, and parking areas, and the peach blossom tourism industry was continuously upgraded.
Inspired by Sun's example, Huang became deeply involved in village development - helping standardize the management of homestays and launching cultural and creative projects themed around peach blossoms. She and her colleagues designed products such as peach blossom brooches and bookmarks, which have since become popular souvenirs for visiting tourists.
"Although I no longer live in Galai Village, I continue to follow its development closely," said Huang, who now works in governmental department of Bayi District, Nyingchi. "In the future, I will keep dedicating my youth to the snowy plateau and contribute to building a prosperous and stable border region for our country."