Elder Losang Lham from Langba Village, Sanggang Township, Kham County, Shigatse City:
“The Party’s Policies Are Great; Our Happiness Grows.”
“I am living happily now; when I’m sick, there’s someone to take care of me, education is free, and I receive subsidies for farming…” At the daytime care center in Langba Village, Kham County, the 83-year-old Losang Lham expressed immense gratitude for the current policies during an interview.
Wearing sunglasses that added a cool vibe, she explained, “I have glaucoma and can’t be exposed to strong light.” Dawa Langjie, the head of the village work team, shared that elderly residents like her are assigned family doctors. “The village doctor regularly checks my blood pressure, provides eye wash, and administers eye drops, all for free,” Losang Lham added appreciatively.
Losang Lham’s village is situated at the site of the Langtong Manor. She reminisced about her childhood as a serf: “My family worked for the landlord, and I used to herd cattle and sheep for them. We lived in a cramped underground room with only a blanket and a bowl.”
Dawa Langjie explained that before the democratic reforms in Tibet, serfs were categorized into three groups: chamba, dueqin, and langseng, with langseng being landless and enslaved by their lords, suffering from hunger and cold.
The democratic reforms in Tibet in 1959 marked a new beginning for Losang Lham. Today, she and her family reside in a three-story traditional Tibetan house, complete with a backyard that accommodates a small car and a transport vehicle. The interior is elegantly decorated, vibrant and clean, and fitted with modern appliances such as a washing machine, refrigerator, and microwave. “Thanks to the Party’s great policies, our lives just keep getting better,” she remarked. “I hope this good life continues for a long time.”
Dawa Langjie noted, “With the development of Langtong Manor, more and more tourists are visiting the village, and we’ve suggested turning her home into a guesthouse.”
Langba Village is located along National Route 562, with significant development potential. It hosts one of the best-preserved noble manors in Tibet—Langtong Manor—as well as rich cultural tourism resources like the ancient Langba Xieqin and rock carvings.
In recent years, Langba Village has vigorously promoted the integration of agriculture, culture, and tourism through a premium rural leisure tourism initiative. Leveraging its unique resources, the village has actively cultivated a “small yet exquisite” rural revitalization industry that combines agricultural experiences, wedding performances, manor sightseeing, leisure accommodations, and dining services. The village also has a stone processing factory producing highly favored yellow-red slate. “Last year, profits from the stone factory and dividends from the Langtong Manor tickets exceeded 600,000 yuan,” said Pupu Duoji, the village Party branch secretary. “All of this is thanks to the advancement of rural revitalization projects.”
