Le Township, Xizang: "Good Place" Opens "Happiness Flower" Hada | Tea Association | Local
The Lomenba Ethnic Township in Shannan Khona City, Xizang Autonomous Region is located at the southern foot of the the Himalayas. The Niangjiang River flows through the township like a white Hada, with birds singing and flowers fragrant on both sides.
"Le" means "good" in Tibetan, and people often refer to Le Township as a "good place". The hardworking and brave Menba people have lived on this land with a humid climate and beautiful scenery for generations.
In front of rows of neatly arranged houses, the fellow members of the Menba ethnic group are performing the "Shannan Menba Opera", singing, dancing, and laughing happily. The Menba culture is unique, and Shannan Menba Opera has a history of more than 200 years. The plot is rich and vivid, and it has been listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.
However, in the 1990s, issues such as actor turnover and insufficient funding once posed a crisis of loss for Shannan Menba Opera. Around 2006, the government increased its protection efforts for Shannan Gate Ba Opera, continuously exploring its historical and cultural connotations, and actively mobilizing villagers to learn and inherit it. At the same time, the inheritors of Shannan Menba Opera are also working hard to obtain external funds to pay some overtime fees to villagers who participate in learning opera and delay farming. Afterwards, more and more villagers took the initiative to learn Shannan Gate Ba Opera.
In Lemenba Ethnic Township, villagers are performing Shannan Menba Opera. Shen Jizhong
Now, a performance team of more than 10 people has been established in the village, regularly performing to enrich the spiritual and cultural life of the local people. At the same time, the performance attracted many tourists to come and watch, showcasing the Menba culture in front of more people, and driving villagers to become wealthy, also allowing this precious intangible cultural heritage skill to be passed down.
"Le Township has unique climate and geographical advantages, which are suitable for the development of tea planting industry." said Laba Zhuoma, the head of Lemenba Ethnic Township in Shannan City. Le Township has good tea quality and fragrant taste.
As early as the 1970s, Le Township began attempting to cultivate tea. However, scattered operations and poor management have become obstacles to the development of the tea industry in Le Township. Township officials realize that only by concentrating the power of the masses can breakthroughs be achieved. They work door-to-door, encouraging everyone to increase confidence, while leading the masses to improve planting techniques and purchase advanced equipment, so as to put the tea planting industry in Lexiang on the right track.
This is the professional cooperative of tea farmers and herdsmen in Lemenba Ethnic Township. Photo by Sun Fei, journalist from Xinhua News Agency
Nowadays, tea has become the "golden leaf" in the mouths of the people in Le Township. Le Township established the Tea Association in 2011 and the Tea Farmers and Herders Professional Cooperative in 2013. In 2022, the total output of dried tea by the cooperative reached over 18000 kilograms, with a total income of over 5 million yuan, providing nearly 100 job opportunities.
Sang Danzeng, the head of the Tea Farmers and Herders Professional Cooperative in Lemenba Ethnic Township, said that this path is right. Next, we will expand the scale of the cooperative, further improve the quality of tea, and strengthen external promotion.
In a tea field in Lemenba Ethnic Township, Gesang Danzeng and his daughter Ciren Wangmu are inspecting the growth of tea leaves. Photo by Sun Fei, journalist from Xinhua News Agency
Nowadays, many families in Le Township have opened homestays. Lingzhi, Tianma and other understory planting products have further expanded the channels for people to become rich, and there are constant visitors to scenic spots such as waterfalls and watchtowers. "We will continue to improve our infrastructure, highlight ethnic characteristics, and make Le Township a more beautiful and happy home," said the township head, Labazhuoma.
