Merging of cultures creates prosperity
Near the convergence of the Nyangchu and Thanchu rivers in Shigatse, Tibet autonomous region, Chakar village is a fitting home for a multiethnic married couple.
The woman, whose name is Yudron, is a native of Chakar, which is located in Norchung township in Shigatse’s Panam county. Her husband, Li Fuhua, is from Hualong county in Qinghai province, more than 1,200 miles away. They merged their lives here nearly two decades ago.
Like the confluence of the two rivers, their union — she is Tibetan and he is Han — mirrors the harmony between ethnic groups commonly found in the autonomous region.
In the early 2000s, Li came to work at a construction site near Yudron’s home. They soon fell in love. They married in 2004.
Li said that at first, he had some difficulty living in a Tibetan village. He had to adjust to a new diet, unfamiliar social customs and a different language.
“As time has passed, these things are no longer barriers. Now, I can chat with the other villagers in Tibetan, and we hang out together,” Li said, noting that his wife is “very supportive of my distinct hobbies and habits”.
The couple has worked to create a better life during their marriage. Yudron runs a traditional weaving business, while Li is a traveling welder. They have two daughters.
Through their talent and hard work, they have prospered. Yudron has passed on her weaving skills to more than 20 women in the village, and Li has helped to train a few as welders.
After Li became a member of the village, he discovered that most Chakar residents made a living as highland barley farmers and had just one source of income.
He made up his mind to change that, and not only taught some of the villagers how to weld and build walls, but also helped them find parttime construction jobs.
“Since 2005, I have been taking eight to 10 villagers every year with me on parttime jobs, and now their financial situation has greatly improved, and we’ve become good friends,” Li said, adding that they all help each other and earn money together while working outside the village.
“Now, I feel I am just like everyone else. I celebrate Spring Festival, Tibetan Losar New Year and other Tibetan festivals.”
Their two daughters, in primary and middle school, can speak both Mandarin and Tibetan.
Yudron and her daughters usually communicate in Tibetan, while Li tends to use Mandarin more often.
Lhamo, their elder daughter, said that the mother country is like a big family in which all ethnic groups are like brothers and sisters. “We all share a common wish, which is to make our country more prosperous. Only when the larger family is in harmony will we all have a chance to enjoy a better life,” she said.