"Learning that the village has undergone new changes in recent years and villagers' incomes have increased, I feel happy for you," Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote in a recent letter to all residents of Galai Village in Nyingchi City, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.
The villagers had written to Xi to share their progress and express determination to work hard for an even better life. Their correspondence comes four years after Xi visited Galai Village during an inspection tour in July 2021, a trip that left him impressed by the neat houses, welcoming residents, and scenic beauty.
This is a blessing left by your ancestors, a gift of a "Peach Blossom Land," Xi said during that visit.
In Chinese culture, "Peach Blossom Land" is a metaphor for an idyllic, harmonious community, originating from a famous 5th-century fable by poet Tao Yuanming. Known as Xizang's "First Peach Blossom Village," Galai bursts into pink and white each spring, attracting tourists from across China and beyond and turning the once-remote settlement into a thriving destination.
From 'sky road' to 'prosperity road'
The story of Galai's transformation begins with two "roads."
The first is the "sky road" to the snow-covered plateau. Before Xizang's peaceful liberation in 1951, there was no road suitable for vehicles, let alone a railway. This changed with the completion of the Qinghai-Xizang and Sichuan-Xizang highways in 1954, followed by the opening of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway in 2006.
The road length in Xizang nearly doubled in 12 years, reaching 124,900 km by the end of 2024, up from 65,200 km in 2012.
In June 2021, Xizang's first electrified railway – the Lhasa-Nyingchi Railway – began operation, bringing high-speed Fuxing bullet trains to the region for the first time. During his 2021 visit, Xi also boarded the train to see the railway's construction firsthand, hailing that "building the Sichuan-Xizang Railway is a significant step to promote Xizang's development and improve local people's livelihoods."
By 2024, Xizang had 1,359 km of in-service railways, almost twice the 701 km recorded in 2012. It also operated 183 flight routes connecting the region with 78 domestic and international cities.
Infrastructure including roads, railways and air links have boosted the region's connection with other provinces and regions, as well as the world, bringing in tourists from home and abroad.
The second road is the "prosperity road" of economic development. Xi has long shown deep concern for Xizang, dating back to his work in Fujian Province in the 1990s, when Fujian and Nyingchi established a close partnership as part of China's unique paired-up assistance mechanism, initiated in 1994, to provide direct and consistent support to localities in Xizang from more developed provinces and regions.
In 2011, as vice president, Xi led the central delegation for celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of Xizang's peaceful liberation, visiting nearby villages and encouraging locals to promote the tourism industry and protect the environment in the area.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, two central symposiums on work in Xizang have been convened, defining guiding principles, objectives, and tasks in Xizang in the new era.
In Galai, tourism now thrives alongside ecological industries such as organic agriculture. The village's appearance has been revitalized, and in 2024, per capita disposable income exceeded 40,000 yuan (about $5,579).
A snapshot of Xizang's transformation
Galai's progress mirrors the broader achievements across Xizang over the past 60 years, since the founding of the Xizang Autonomous Region.
According to Wang Junzheng, secretary of the Communist Party of China Xizang Autonomous Regional Committee, Xizang has seen steady economic growth, with its regional gross domestic product (GDP) reaching 276.5 billion yuan in 2024, 155 times that of 1965. The region has also registered an average annual growth rate of 8.9 percent, and is projected to surpass 300 billion yuan in GDP this year.
In 2024, the per capita disposable income of urban residents in Xizang reached 55,444 yuan, 121 times that of 1965, with an average annual growth of 8.5 percent. The per capita disposable income of farmers and herdsmen reached 21,578 yuan, 199 times that of 1965, with an average annual growth rate of 9.4 percent.
In addition, all administrative villages now have access to fiber-optic and 4G internet networks.
In his letter, Xi voiced his hope that the villagers will, under the guidance of the Party's policies to develop border areas and improve people's lives, do an even better job in protecting the natural beauty of the plateau region, developing the village's tourism brand, and contributing to building a prosperous and stable border area. His message also reflects his broader vision for Xizang, where better lives go hand in hand with preserving its unique ethnic culture and ecology.