New Year cheer soars for Tibetans lifted from poverty

Government support

Tsering, a farmer from Shaitonmon county, also spoke of her happiness and said the living conditions of her previously impoverished family had greatly improved through stable work and various types of support from the government.

Now working in a biotechnology pilot zone in the town, a government supported poverty alleviation enterprise, she said she receives a monthly salary of 3,500 yuan from the company and an additional 3,500 yuan per year from the government for her work protecting the environment.

Like Tsering's family, about 34,800 residents of counties such as Namling, Saga, Lhaze, Gyalze, Shaitonmon and Sakya were lifted from poverty last year, according to the Shigatse city government.

Tsering said she was able to buy more meat for this New Year as well as new clothing of a better quality and design, and "a lot of cow butter for my parents, so they can have their favorite butter tea for a long time, which will all make this year's holiday much happier".

Dorje, 63, of Shaitonmon county, said he credits the government's support for improving local residents' livelihoods, which has greatly boosted people's quality of life.

In 2019, the average annual per capita rural dispensable income in Shigatse was 12,140 yuan, an increase of 72.4 percent over that in 2015, according to the city government.

"In the past, people looked forward to the arrival of New Year because they wanted to buy new clothes and have nice food. But now we have better life, and it's like living in holidays all the time," Dorje said.