Xiamen gives Tibet a healthier outlook

Downtown Zogang, a county in the Tibet autonomous region's Chamdo, lies beside a river and against an expanse of mountains. A wooden plank path winds its way up the mountain, allowing visitors to go hiking and embrace the county's beauty.

Every night, the county welcomes tourists with a bustling scene. At its central square, locals and visitors gather in circles and dance without inhibition, enacting the bonfire dance of the Tibetan ethnic group at festive occasions.

Up until 2019, Zogang was listed as an impoverished county, and its transformation couldn't have been achieved without special teams from the coastal city Xiamen, Fujian province, which lies around 2,100 kilometers away.

In 2016, Fujian province established a partnership with Chamdo to aid its development. Cities from Fujian began offering one-on-one assistance to counties in Chamdo, and among them, Xiamen paired with Zogang.

Each year, experts from various fields take the journey and work in the county. So far, eight batches of specialists have made the trip.