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E-mail China.org.cn, July 4, 2024
Yan Jinhai:
Second, following region-specific strategies with clear priorities, we have been developing our distinct advantages in high-quality development. In accordance with our available resources and development conditions, we have selectively fostered the growth of new industries, new models and new growth drivers. We have continuously bolstered our unique and competitive sectors such as cultural tourism, specialized agriculture and animal husbandry, advanced digital industries and traditional Tibetan medicine. We have also expedited efforts to develop emerging industries such as plateau-appropriate light industry, in a bid to enhance our internal growth momentum. In terms of cultural tourism, as you are all aware, Xizang, with its unique natural landscape and ethnic culture, is a popular tourism destination for people around the world. In 2023, Xizang received 55.17 million visits by tourists from home and abroad, with total tourism revenue reaching 65.1 billion yuan, up 83.7% and 60%, respectively, both setting new records. Specifically, the number of foreign visitors amounted to nearly 20,000. In the first quarter of this year, the figure exceeded 4,300. In this sense, the tourism sector has truly become an industry that benefits local people. On May 15, I made an inspection tour to Cuogao village, Cuogao township in Gongbo'gyamda county in the city of Nyingchi. I learnt that all 438 villagers of the 108 households there used to rely on natural resources from the mountains and forests for their livelihoods, mostly by logging. Nowadays, after being relocated from inhospitable areas, every household now lives in a two-story building, with cement roads leading right up to their doorsteps. Most of the villagers run homestays, and the forests have been transformed into scenic spots. In 2023, the village's tourism revenue alone reached 2.36 million yuan, and the average per capita income amounted to 27,000 yuan, exceeding the average level of Xizang's rural residents by 7,000 yuan. The total income of one family in the village consisting of four family members reached 155,000 yuan last year, with 80,000 yuan coming solely from their homestay earnings.
In terms of distinctive agriculture and animal husbandry, Xizang saw a 14.9% increase in added value of the primary industry last year, with grain production consistently exceeding 1 million tons for nine consecutive years. Our efforts have focused on scientific breeding. Although yaks, known as the "boats of the plateau," are valuable, traditional breeding methods are time-consuming, and valuable byproducts such as yak bones and blood are often thrown away as useless things. Through selective breeding and efficient farming techniques at the Gesangtang Modern Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Industry Demonstration Park in Lhunzhub county, Lhasa, the yak breeding cycle has been shortened from eight to 12 years to just three to four years. This has significantly improved economic efficiency, increasing breeding profits by over 50% compared to traditional methods. Additionally, to turn yak bones into valuable resources, Lhasa has introduced a private enterprise producing yak bone ceramics. The highest-value ceramic artwork sells for up to 2 million yuan per piece, and the export price of the best ceramic thangka artwork is as high as $300,000. Last year, this enterprise achieved nearly 20 million yuan in sales, with an expected breakthrough of over 100 million yuan this year. Xizang's highland barley is rich in beta-glucan and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), both beneficial for the human body. Beta-glucan is known for its blood sugar-lowering effects, while GABA is recognized for its antioxidant properties and ability to prevent the development of atherosclerosis. In the past, despite living in cold, high-altitude areas, the people in Xizang maintained robust health due to barley and tea, even though fresh vegetables and fruits were scarce. In October last year, the Chinese team won the iba.UIBC.CUP of Bakers 2023 in Germany using highland barley flour from Shigatse. Currently, Xizang has developed over 70 varieties of superior barley seeds. The most widely planted varieties are Zangqing 2000 and Zangqing 3000. Last year, the total barley output reached 840,000 tons, a 6.1% increase from the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), enough to feed 310,000 more people. Xizang consumes 700,000 tons of highland barley annually, leaving a surplus of 140,000 tons. The remaining volume and 700,000 tons of barley stored by individuals are enough to meet the region's consumption needs for over a year. At present, we are extending the industrial chain with processed barley products such as barley wine, biscuits, noodles, and meal replacement powders, which are sold domestically and exported to countries and regions including Nepal and Canada.
In terms of the high-tech digital industry, Xizang's unique climate features of low sulfur, low temperature, low pressure, and low humidity, along with low-cost clean energy, provide unparalleled advantages for developing high-tech digital industries. Currently, Xizang hosts a national green data center, aiming to create the world's highest-altitude green big data center driven by innovation in computing power. With a planned investment of 11.8 billion yuan, it can accommodate 70,000 racks. Last year, the digital economy in Xizang exceeded 25 billion yuan, a 19% increase year on year.
Regarding Xizang's medicine industry, sales of the most popular traditional medicine, Seventy-flavor Pearl Pills, reached 147 million yuan last year.
In terms of the light industry, Xizang's independently developed Snow Lotus and Gesang Flower branded cookware products suitable for plateau areas, including pressure soup pots and frying pans, have obtained 18 national patents and sold 840,000 pieces over the past two years. Due to the high-altitude and low-oxygen environment in Xizang, in cities like Lhasa, water boils at 82 degrees Celsius, which is insufficient for adequately cooking dumplings or noodles. By combining our country's advanced technologies with local market demand, we have developed pressure cookers suitable for the plateau environment, fundamentally solving the problem of insufficient boiling and undercooking. In Xizang, it is common for us to drink hot water in big gulps, and this habit persists even when we are in Beijing, sometimes leading to mouth burns.
