With social developments, the once bustling old road gradually became forgotten. However, thanks to the influence of Trasang's father's generation, he still has fond feelings for the ancient "Salt and Sheep Road".

 

"Relying on the salt lake, our ancestors used their wisdom and hard work to make their own wealth. With so many business opportunities now, we have no reason to wait for it to come to us again."

 

In 2005, the village committee of Changmai Village in Yanhu Township applied for 140,000 yuan (20,541.7 US dollars) in funding from Gegye County. The village raised 138,000 yuan (20,248.3 US dollars) and started a salt field for Changmai Village.

 

By 2010, the salt field had grown and developed, and the village officially established the Yimin Cooperative, appointing Trasang as its head.

 

"Replacing the hundreds of sheep who used to carry salt, now we have our own trucks, and we can send our salt anywhere," Trasang said.

 

He added that though he himself grew up eating the salt from the salt lake, because of certain national standards for the mineral content of salt, the salt they collect is currently sold mainly as healthy bath salts.

 

The township collects 500 to 800 tons of salt per year and has already sold 420 tons till this year. In 2017, the cooperative generated a total revenue of 270,000 yuan (39,616.2 US dollars) with a net profit of around 110,000 yuan (16,139.9 US dollars).

 

In order to pass down the history of the "Salt and Sheep Road" from generation to generation, Gongjue Tsering revealed to reporters that the next step will be to develop the tourism resources of the ancient "Salt and Sheep Road".

 

He hopes that visitors will be able to experience salt mining and reenact the historical scene of sheep transporting salt on their backs.