Rustling up views

Tashi Chodron from Zari township in Xizang's Lhunze county quit her job in Lhokha city and returned to her home at the southern end of the Himalayas in 2023.

The 26-year-old said she saw the opportunities to develop tourism in Zari when more tourists started visiting the township after road conditions were significantly improved. Zari is perched on a high plateau and offers unique natural scenery.

"Many people in Zari have opened homestays and received more income, so I believe I can also start my own business," said Tashi Chodron, who is from the Tibetan ethnic group.

Her family owns a pasture and a hut that they stay in when grazing yaks near the Coga Lake with the backdrop of the glaciers, waterfalls and forests. Tashi Chodron said she is very familiar with the way to the lake, which has become a popular destination among hikers.

In August 2023, a social media influencer came to Zari and she served as his guide. Inspired by the influencer, on Oct 16 last year she started to regularly post videos on Douyin about her daily life on the pasture.

A video she posted in July featuring the scenery of the Coga Lake and the family pasture received a multitude of comments on the "stunning "views, which also said they were looking forward to seeing more videos about Zari.

"People's positive comments have made me more determined to make more videos and introduce my home via social media, which has made Zari no longer remote," she said. "Making videos while hiking to the Coga Lake is so much more difficult than grazing livestock."

Besides natural scenery, Tashi Chodron has also been posting videos on how local people celebrate different festivals and introducing different aspects of Tibetan culture. "I am still new when it comes to becoming an influencer, but I want to try my best to let more people learn more about Zari and our life," she said.

Tashi Chodron is currently building an eight-room homestay in the township to meet the increasing demand for accommodation from visitors.

"I hope my career can take off both online and offline thanks to the development in border areas of Xizang," she said.

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