Boasting good quality, exquisite outline and beautiful appearance, Gyaca wooden bowls are popular among Tibetan people. The craftsmanship of Gyaca wooden bowls has been inscribed on the regional intangible cultural heritage list. In addition, wooden bowl of Karma Gyitang Village is known for sophisticated production technologies.

 

Samdrup, living in Karma Gyitang Village, is an inheritor of the craftsmanship of Gyaca wooden bowl.

 

Speaking of wooden bowls, Samdrup has a lot to say. "There are many kinds of Gyaca wooden bowls. With beautiful appearance, they are easy to take along and able to keep food's taste," Samdrup says, "making a wooden bowl takes five procedures, including selecting of materials, airing, blank forming, grinding and lacquering. Each step is complicated, which demands not only great skills, but also enough patience. "

 

Samdrup's family has engaged in the production of wooden bowls for several generations. He began to learn making wooden bowls when he grew up. Following Samdrup's right decision, a simple family workshop developed into a cooperative of farmers and herdsmen. Gradually, it became a comprehensive cultural enterprise combing making and selling of handcrafts. Today, Tibet Shannan Gyaca Dakpo Traditional Cultural Industry Development Co., Ltd. has gained a steady market in Tibet and other places of China.

 

In 2000, Samdrup began to focus on the processing and sales of wooden bowl. In 2014, he opened a wooden bowl company in Karma Gyitang Village, which employed all the village's surplus labor.

 

Following the concept of promoting Tibetan culture, the company mainly produces middle and high-end wooden bowls that are popular souvenirs in tourism market. In terms of sales strategy, on the basis of Tibet market, it accelerates the expanding of market outside Tibet. Samdrup has engaged in research, design, processing and sales of traditional folk handcrafts. With diversified products, his company wins a good start in the building of brand, sales and feedback.

 

Samdrup says that he has worked hard to develop his company into the largest wooden bowl production company with Tibetan cultural characteristics.

 

There is a saying going like "one high-end wooden bowl equals to ten yaks" among Tibetan people. Thanks to the supports of good state policies and his own skills, Samdrup's business goes well. The wooden bowls produced by his company are sold outside Tibet.

 

In 2018, with one million yuan RMB of net income, his company created more than 50 working posts. The annual per capita income stood at 50,000 yuan RMB. Samdrup also set up e-commerce channels and built stores in Lhasa City, Nyingchi City and Gyaca County of Shannan City. His business also broadened the channels of the income growth for local farmers and herdsmen.

 

Samdrup wins praises from local people for his abilities.

 

After two-decade efforts, with his diligence and perseverance, Samdrup becomes rich. However, he never forgets that he is a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC). He leads residents of surrounding villagers to get rich together and practices the social responsibility of a private company's entrepreneur.

 

In 2013, at the initiative stage of the cooperative, Samdrup has built a close relationship with local impoverished households. Using Gyaca County's ecological and tourism resources, he has explored a targeted poverty alleviation mode of "company + cooperatives + impoverished households", which helps a large number of poor households get rid of poverty and makes contributions to the economic and social development.

 

In 2016, his company has brought an increase of 70,000 yuan RMB in total income of 15 farmers and herdsmen. In 2019, it is expected to bring an increase of 350,000 yuan RMB in the income of 31 farmers and herdsmen.

 

Samdrup has focused on poverty alleviation through providing jobs and doing public welfare. In order to improve wooden bowl craftsmanship, Samdrup invites inheritors of wooden bowl making skill from Lingda Town to teach workers related knowledge and practice. Since the beginning of 2013, he has donated 250,000 yuan RMB and daily necessities, school supplies as well as pieces of furniture, worth of 180,000 yuan RMB, to public welfare, impoverished  households, families with disabled people and students from poor families.

 

Samdrup is still on his way to helping others. He passes down the culture of wooden bowls and the traditional merits of national unity.