Daily Improving Qamdo Economy

Qamdo before 1959 had always adopted a feudal serf system under the autocracy of monks and aristocrats who combined politics and religion into one. Such a feudal exploitation system is featured by the possession of production materials such as the land by local government, ownership by aristocrats and monks and the dependence of serfs on them. Most serfs had no freedom at all and could be dealt with freely by serf owners as a kind of private property. Meanwhile, the serf system had severely restrained the development of social productivity. They primitive farming and traditional nomadic life kept the Qamdo economy in backwardness. Under such conditions, most serfs could not get enough clothes to wear or enough food to eat. They were struggling for existence on the verge of death.

After 1959, especially after 1978 when China launched its reform and opening-up policies, Qamdo witnessed great changes. Through 40 years of construction, Qamdo has leaped form the feudal serf system to modern civilization. The single agricultural and husbandry in the past has now developed into a multiple economic structure composed of modern industry, agriculture and husbandry and the tertiary industry. Serfs no longer need to depend on feudal landlords, but rather, they become masters of their own destiny. The ancient Qamdo is filled with vitality.

Now, agricultural production in Qamdo is gradually being mechanized. By the end of 1997, the total power of agricultural machines in Qamdo Prefecture had reached 71,000 kW. The areas of machine farming and machine sowing were respectively 3.14667 million and 3.98667 million hectares. The situation of obtaining food totally changed. The State invested over 100 million yuan and built up 3,940 big or small channels, extending 6,100 km; 28 irrigation projects over 1,000mu; 560 reservoirs with a total capacity of 6.42 million cubic meters and 16 irrigation stations with an installed capacity of 620 kW. The area of farming land that can be irrigated has increased from 11,300 hectares in the Democratic Reform period to the present 26,700 hectares, accounting for 53.28 percent of the total farming land in the prefecture. By the end of 1997, more than 70 hydropower stations had been set up in Qamdo Prefecture, with a total installed capacity of 26,000 kW. Of them, two are at prefectural level, 9,600kW; 10 are at the county level, 11,095 kW. 55 are at the village level, 4,553 kW. There are also 94 km of 35 kV high-voltage lines and 700 km of 10 kV high-voltage lines. The construction in water resources and hydropower stations help improve people's production and living standards and make them feel the benefits of the national policy carried out by the Central Government.

Before 1951, there was no professional technology agency in agriculture, husbandry, forestry and water resources, nor was there any scientific and technological staff. The agriculture depended totally on primitive farming. If there appeared destructive insects or disease in crops, they had no other choice but to ask the lamas to recite scriptures. Through 40 year's efforts since the democratic Reform in 1959, however, the Qamdo Prefecture has set up professional agencies at all levels. Now it has 12 agricultural technology promotion stations, nine breeding stations, one husbandry and veterinary station (including animal husbandry, pasture, veterinary branches and a laboratory; one animal quarantine station, 11 veterinary and epidemic prevention stations at county level and 90 such stations at township or village level. Now seven counties in the prefecture have set up forestry bureaus and four have established forestry management stations. Besides, and agricultural technology promotion station was also set up.

At present, the number of all kinds of farming and herding research institutes, experimental fields, experimental bases and breeder and seed amelioration stations has hit 121 in Qamdo. With the establishment of various service systems, science and technology progressed and agriculture developed. In 1997, the gross national product (GNP) of the Qamdo Prefecture reached 677.16 million yuan, with an annual growth rate of 10.02 percent. The agricultural scientific and technological service network helped expand the scientific and technological model area and increased the scientific and technological content of agricultural technology. Since then, Qamdo entered a new development stage. The gross agricultural product in 1997 was 490.952 million yuan. Following the harvests in successive years, the total output of grain reached 121,500 tons; the total amount of livestock was 3.5 million; the total output value of township enterprises, national handicraft and diversified economy reached 228.0278 million yuan; and the non-state-owned economy also developed, which promoted market development. By the end of 1997, the number of individual industrial and commercial units had reached 3,881, with 4,648 persons being employed. The registered capital amounted to 34.7784 million yuan.

To improve the farming and herding conditions of the Qamdo Prefecture, the key project of developing "the three river ranges in east Tibet" at both State and regional levels involving 700 million yuan is now still under construction. On its completion, the Qamdo Prefecture will have 44 hydropower stations, with a total installed capacity of 107.3 million kW. The diversion works will cover an area of 18,700 hectare, the man-made grassland, 12,400 hectares and the irrigation area, 4,533 hectares. The three river ranges will become a base for marketable grain, vegetables and other foodstuffs, light industry and textile and the promotion and application of science and technology.

Before the 1950s, there was no industry in Qamdo. Now, a modern industrial network with national characteristics has been formed in this area, including electricity, coal, textile and cement. The electricity generated in 1997 was 577.478 million kWhu, the output of cement was 24,800 tons and that of coal was 11,000 tons. The Cement Plant, the Qamdo Meat Processing Plant, the Machala Coal Mine, the Yulong Bronze Mine, the Yulong Bronze Mine and the Jinhe Power Plant all sprang up one after another on the ancient Qamdo land.

Before the 1950s, post and telecommunications in Qamdo were communication stations which mainly served officials or merchants. In 1951 when Tibet was peacefully liberated, the first post office of the Tibet Autonomous Region was set up in Qamdo. Since then, the post and telecommunications industry has been developed continuously. Now Qamdo has on post office at prefectural level. The installment capacity of urban telephones is 3,800 and a long distance direct dialing system has been made available in all its counties. Besides, the paging system was set up, as well as the individual telegraph, etiquette Hada telegraph, express mailing service, postal saving, stamp collection, telegraph in Tibetan and international direct dialing. Satellite communication has basically taken shape. With Qamdo as a center, VSAT and TES system was opened in each of its counties. A new framework of post and telecommunications was formed.

With the development of all causes in Qamdo, peasants and herdsmen saw an increased income and improved living standard. Some of them now enjoy a better standard of living. In 1997, the average income per capita among peasants and herdsmen of the Qamdo Prefecture was 1,214.43 yuan, and their average consumption was 986.09 yuan. Most have solved the basic problem of food and clothing. Some have even bought agricultural production materials such as trucks and tractors and some got audio and video equipment. About 40 percent of peasants and herdsmen built new houses, and their daily life utensils have diversified from the former simple porcelain. In today's Qamdo, people will see a prosperous urban and rural market with various commodities. The vegetable market in winter becomes a great scene in Qamdo. Besides the commonly seen vegetables such as spinach, cucumber, garlic, rape, tomato, radish, eggplant, pepper and wax gourd, there are also sea products including carp, silver carp, ribbon fish, yellow croaker, crab, tortoise and shrimps. Some of them are produced in Tibet, while many come from Sichuan and other neighboring provinces. Radios, tape-recorders, bicycles, sewing machines, color TVs, refrigerators and telephones were introduced into common families of peasants and herdsmen one after another. Statistics from 1997 show that each 100 families possessed 9.85 TV set. In urban areas, the figure was 89; while in rural areas, it was 0.84. Each 100 families also possessed 3.9 radios. Later generations of peasants and serfs can now enjoy TV, films or tape-recorders freely.

While the Qamdo peasants and herdsmen improve their material lives, they also enjoy freedom of religious belief. Under the protection of State Constitution and laws, the Qamdo people have obtained full freedom in normal religious activities.

Great changes also took place in the clothes of the Qamdo people. What they usually wear is Tibetan-style gowns made from lamb or otter skins, ornaments made from agate or jade and hats decorated with gold silk and silver ribbons. The Tibetan-style gown combining traditional characteristics and both Tibetan and Chinese features are especially loved by the young people.