Lhasa Transformed

By+staff+reporter+ZHANG+HONG

THIRTEEN–YEAR–OLD Ten- pai Nyima and his parents are relaxing on the doorstep of Jokhang Monastery， more than 2，800 kilometers from their hometown in Sichuan Province.

Two months ago， the family completed a pilgrimage from their hometown to Lhasa， a 230-day journey on foot during which they ritually prostrated themselves every three steps. When they finally reached the square of the famous Jokhang Monastery， they sat down， exhausted， and reflected on their achievement.

Tenpai had stayed in touch with friends back home during this tedious journey through his mobile phone and Internet. Thanks to social networking he could share his experience with people around the nation and beyond.

Not far away， Ang Zhehai， 74， and his wife from neighboring province Qinghai are circumambulating， the ritual of circling the monastery and praying. The couple are on their third pilgrimage to Lhasa. Angs first was 62 years ago as a boy of 12； it took him five months to reach Lhasa by ox cart. After construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Highway， 58–year–old Angs second trip took only four days. Now the drive from his hometown Xining to the Tibetan capital has been reduced to overnight.

Renovating the Old District

Over the past years marked changes have occurred not only in the transportation system to Lhasa and other Tibetan cities， but also the cities themselves.

On March 2， 2014， Barkhor Street， a time-honored path around the Jokhang Monastery that is packed with pilgrims and tourists all year round， celebrated the first Tibetan New Year after its renovation. Although most of the shops were shut for the holiday， the area was still in-undated with pilgrims. New street lamps warmly lit the streets， which were paved with slate instead of flagstones. According to Cao Pengcheng， deputy director of the Barkhor Street Management Committee， these hard slates， from mountains 5，000 kilometers above sea level in Shannan Prefecture in southern Tibet， allow the old district to retain its native simplicity.

Formerly， the Jokhang Monastery was surrounded by more than 3，000 outdoor vendors， who cluttered the narrow circumambulation paths with their wares. They are now in the newly opened Barkhor Shopping Mall. It enables them to do business rain or shine， and meanwhile makes room for pilgrims circling the monastery.

This change is a direct result of the conservation works of Lhasas old district， launched at the end of 2012. With an investment of RMB 1.5 billion， the six-month project has comprehensively advanced the infrastructure of Barknor Street.

“In the past， both sides of the street were crammed with stands， which made it difficult for pedestrians to pass. Vendors had to do business in the open， and move goods by tricycle every day，”recalled Cao. “Now， the less crowded streets make things easier for worshipers. Besides， there is also no need to ferry goods back and forth every day， because sellers can store their wares in the shopping mall. “

To preserve Lhasas traditional features， the local authority requires that any reconstruction or renovation of old buildings in this 1.33-square-kilometer area must keep to the old architectural style.

The conservation works have also upgraded Barkhor Streets electricity system. According to Cao， most of the buildings in the 1，400-year-old district are wooden constructions. Before the conservation works， electric cables were tangled and interwoven， with unstable voltage. A single high-powered appliance could cause a blackout. Electricians had to check the wiring before every festival or holiday.

Today the entire area has been rewired. Old utility poles have been replaced with pad-mounted transformers to eliminate the fire hazard. “Currently the circuits are stable and safe，” remarked 48-year-old Dorhe， head of a local neighborhood committee. Dorhe formerly had to come into the office every holiday in case of fire hazards.

Expanding the City

Lhasa first took shape as a city in the 17th century. In 1950 it had a population of merely 300，000 and an urban area no larger than three square kilometers. There were dirt roads and no sewers. Today urban Lhasa covers an area of over 60 square kilometers， 20 times bigger than 60 years ago.

Cao recalled that when he was a child， the main landmark in Lhasa was the Post and Telecommunication Office， and east of the building was nothing but croplands. “The so-called city proper referred to Jokhang Monastery and the Potala Palace. If you rode a bicycle， you could soon go around the whole city，”Cao said.

In 2011 the municipal government moved its office to the eastern suburbs of the city. On its heels came more businesses， residents and facilities. On the western side， the urban area has expanded across the Lhasa River to join with Doilungdeqen County on the other side of the river， where a new district has arisen to become the citys second administrative center.

There are nearly 100 hostels and restaurants at Xianzu Island Resort by the Lhasa River， which is about two kilometers away from the Jokhang Monastery and the Potala Palace. On the other side of the river is the Princess Wencheng stage. Since its premiere in August， 2013， more than 210，000 people have seen this grand drama of Tibetan Opera，folk singing and dancing， set amid natural scenery.

There is a large construction site east of downtown Lhasa， which will soon become Tibets largest educational center. According to Jigme Namgyal， Lhasas vice mayor， the facility， at an investment of RMB 3.6 billion， will cover an area of 270 hectares upon completion， and 17 primary， secondary， professional and special education schools have already chosen to set up campus here. It will receive students later this year.

“In the past many families preferred to send their children to study in other areas，” said Qizhalha， Party secretary of Lhasa. “The construction of the educational center offers a new choice for local people.”

No to Polluters

In Lhasa there used to be a dark joke： in winter the only green is found at crossroads – the traffic light. But today， the city at an altitude of 3，650 meters is enlivened by large green spaces throughout the year. Over the past years it has planted along local roadways a variety of trees that can adapt to the plateaus harsh climate.

In 2012 a large-scale greening project was launched on Nanshan Mountain on the southern bank of the Lhasa River. With a total investment of RMB 10 billion， the project introduced advanced technologies from Israel and the U.S. for reforestation in the region， which is expected to take about 10 years. The forest will play an important role in air purification， shielding wind and preventing erosion.

Meanwhile， conservation work has been started in the Lhalu Wetland， northwest of Lhasa. As the worlds highest and largest natural urban wetland， it is known as the “Green Lungs of Lhasa.”The city plans to invest RMB 700 million to resettle local residents and restore the ecosystem.

“Tibetans have always been in harmony with nature，” said Cao. “Countless migratory birds， such as wild ducks and black-necked cranes， fly to the wetlands to pass the winter.”

However， Lhasa is also a victim of global warming. Sixty-year-old Kelsang Phuntsog remembers being able to see stars every night. Now they are rarely visible， and the mountain snows are slowly melting. Even so， Lhasa still leads the country in air quality.

Regarding environmental protection， Qizhalha says， “We say no to any polluting enterprise.” He added proudly that there are no polluting enterprises within 1，000 kilometers of Lhasa. On a recent visit to Namtso Lake， he remarked that the scenery there was as pristine as the South Pole. “We must keep this holy land as it has always been，” he said.