Jan.12, 2024 -- The completion of a key expressway linking Lhasa, capital of the Xizang autonomous region, and Shigatse, a prefecture-level city, has boosted local transportation and transformed the livelihoods of residents.

 

The 166.98-kilometer-long expressway, whose first phase had opened to traffic earlier, saw the second phase, or the middle section partly built by China Railway No 4 Engineering Group Co Ltd, fully connected on Dec 5.

 

Tenzin Phuntsog, a native of Sog county in Xizang and a worker at CREC4, was told by the company that he could end his probationary period six months earlier than scheduled and become a formal employee, due to his dedication to the job.

 

Tenzin, who had received technical training and been admitted to CREC4's project department in Rinpung county in July 2021, said he was glad that his diligence at work had so quickly won praise from his company, a State-owned builder.

 

In June 2018, CREC4 builders arrived in Rinpung to construct the Yaan-Yecheng Expressway running through the county. It embarked on a plan to help the local people. Rinpung, located in the northeastern tip of Shigatse, borders Lhasa in the north and Shannan in the east.

 

Tenzin, who now works as a technician for the Cholungya River bridge, earns 15,000 yuan ($2,270) per month, greatly boosting income support for his family.

 

Previously, the family of four, including his father, mother and elder sister, lived mainly on the meager salary of his father, who used to toil as a road maintenance worker.

 

The Yaan-Yecheng Expressway starts at Juntian village under Yaan's Yucheng district in Sichuan province, and ends at Yecheng under Kashgar in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, spanning three provincial-level regions: Sichuan, Xizang and Xinjiang.

 

As a key east-west artery in the national expressway network, work on it officially started in October 2012. On Dec 31, 2018, the entire Sichuan section was opened to traffic.

 

Sog county is in Nagqu prefecture, bordering Shigatse in the south.

 

"As my father works on roads, I am so proud that I could also work as a road builder," Tenzin said, adding that his salary has helped lessen the burden on his family.

 

For Nudron, a widowed mother of two, her job at CREC4's construction site on the expressway has helped stabilize all the basic family expenses.

 

Before landing the new job in 2020, she was a poverty-stricken resident of Nubikam at Rinpung's Chewa township, shouldering all the responsibilities of the family.

 

She now works as a traffic guide for CREC4's project mixing station and the intersection of National Highway 318. She earns a monthly income of 5,000 yuan.

 

"I really cherish my current job, as I can do my bit for the work safety of the project," said Nudron, who is always by her post, whether on a hot summer's day or a cold one with heavy snowfall during winter.

 

On May 9, 2022, the Nyingchi-Lhasa section of the Yaan-Yecheng Expressway was opened to traffic, following the trial operation of the first phase, the Lhasa-Shigatse Expressway, in the east since Nov 22, 2021.

 

Nudron, a widowed mother of two, employed by CREC4 as a traffic guide, works at a construction site near National Highway 318 in the Xizang autonomous region. CHINA DAILY

 

 

Situated in the valleys of the middle reaches of Yarlung Tsangpo, Xizang's most famous river, Rinpung is known as the "east gate" of Shigatse. With an average elevation of over 3,950 meters above sea level, Rinpung is mountainous and riddled with deep gullies.

 

When CREC4 builders arrived, they realized that the local population faced many difficulties in their daily travels.

 

Rinpung administers nine townships, with 366 natural villages organized into 72 administrative villages and one neighborhood committee.

 

In addition to building the expressway, CREC4 staffers decided to offer a helping hand by setting up an assistance team, of which Xu Keming is the head.

 

Xu said: "A good local road can serve as a transport artery linking the rural Tibetan fields and the urban market. Once built, the local rural resources can be revitalized."

 

Based mainly on agriculture, the local people produce highland barley, wheat, rapeseed, peas and potatoes, as well as rear cattle and sheep.

 

Rinpung's rich mineral resources include ferrochrome, lead, zinc, marble and jade.

 

With help from the assistance team, CREC4 Second Engineering only took six months to renovate 36.9 km of existing roads and 12.6 km of permanent roads, breaking the bottleneck facing the Tibetan farmers and herdsmen along these roads.

 

 

Rinpung has a population of some 38,800, including over 35,600 Tibetans, but the local residents mainly rely on agricultural produce for income. They need industrial support and tourism to boost their incomes.

 

Xu said aiding in skill development and jobs is the best solution to help in the development of local residents.

 

As technical training can lead to decent jobs, the assistance team organized CREC4 staffers in conducting "skills training" and "pre-job training" sessions through the mode of "a teacher helping an apprentice".

 

The skills mainly covered steel bar binding and electric welding.

 

Tenzin Dondrup is a fervent attendee at the training sessions. After breakfast, he immediately rushes to the training room.

 

"Today, we are going to have classes on electric welding. I need to have a good seat for a clearer view," he said, adding, "I'm to apply for an electrician's certificate to prepare for my job."

 

So far, more than 140 training sessions have been launched, drawing over 2,400 attendees.

 

After the training, the assistance team picked the local people to work as CREC4 builders based on their acquired skills and educational levels.

 

So far, CREC4 Second Engineering has hired more than 400 Tibetan farmers and herdsmen, and leased more than 300 sets of local machinery and equipment, helping them garner a total income of more than 20 million yuan.

 

 

CREC4 builders wouldn't let the Tibetan children down without proper support.

 

For CREC4 builders, extending a helping hand to needy students in Rinpung ensured educational equality and social fairness.

 

The assistance team visited the Rinpung County Education Bureau, the Chewa township and the Lhain township and their surrounding villages, and launched an aid-the-kids drive.

 

Some 20 CREC4 staffers decided to offer each primary school student 600 yuan per semester and each middle school student 1,000 yuan per semester for their studies.

 

"I will definitely cherish this aid fund and use it for my own study," said Lhadron, who is studying in the third grade at Rinpung County Middle School.

By: MA CHENGUANG and ZHUANG QIANGE