Farmers prune vines at a kiwi orchard in Jingdu village, Xiazayu town, Zayu county, Nyingchi city, Tibet Autonomous Region. The hamlet implemented a development model involving “companies + farmers” as part of its campaign to pursue kiwi cultivation and help residents increase their incomes. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
The gurgling Zayu River flows at the foot of the luxuriant mountains shrouded in clouds and mist that stand in the distance behind recently constructed, evenly spaced homes lining smooth concrete roads running through a picturesque hamlet – a view typical of regions south of the Yangtze River.
The scene describes Jingdu village, Xiazayu town, Zayu county, Nyingchi prefecture-level city, Tibet Autonomous Region, in this case. The climate is warm and pleasant as a result of the humid Indian Ocean air that makes its way to the region, and dense subtropical virgin forests permeate the area. Distinct from most of the rest of Tibet Autonomous Region, the small hamlet features unique geography and a population composed of people who are part of an indigenous ethnic group that lives on both sides of the Sino-Indian border.