'Pairing assistance' brings world of good to remote Sichuan areas
The "pairing assistance" team has coordinated with the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze and Guangyuan City in southwest China's Sichuan Province to improve social development in the latter areas since last year.
On October 13, Kangding No. 2 High School rolled out the welcome mat for the first batch of students. Hangzhou invested more than 100 million yuan (US$13.88 million) in the construction of the school in Kangding County of Garze.
"It is the first senior high school in Kangding County, a breakthrough in local education. Over 1,900 students can receive further education and have an opportunity to go to university," said Luo Linfeng, deputy secretary general of the "pairing assistance" team.
Apart from the new campus, the team has also figured out methods to boost the education level in Kangding. Hangzhou's Xiaoshan District has set up a "Xiaoshan Class" in the high school, and Xiaoshan local teachers have been dispatched there to implement innovative teaching concepts.
"The high school will be a classic example of 'paring assistance' between developed and less-developed areas, from facilities and education to talent cultivation and assistance," Wang Jingjiang, vice director of Kangding County, noted.
Big data and cloud technologies will be used to promote education. The team will build a "Smart Education Brain" platform to share resources between Hangzhou and Garze.
The newly opened Kangding No. 2 High School is the first senior high school in Kangding County of the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
The Xiaoshan Commission of Commerce has donated 5 million yuan to establish a charity foundation in the school to award outstanding students in the future.
Hangzhou has also emphasized agriculture promotion and explored agricultural resources for consumers, with government officials bringing the Zhejiang capital city's progressive concepts to Garze, which will play a role in boosting the local economy.
Garze is home to Tibetan pigs, known for their low fat, high-protein meat and thin hide. In a bid to promote this pork among consumers, Hangzhou's Yuhang District government has supported the local farming industry by building a large-scale pig farm, which is expected to raise more than 40,000 pigs a year with an annual production value of 500 million yuan.
As for Guangyuan, its juicy fruits and fresh vegetables have already been transported to supermarkets in Hangzhou.
Agriculture has been highlighted in assistance campaigns. On September 5, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Luding County in Garze. In a bid to help local farmers to resume production, Hangzhou government hosted an online promotion fair for Garze produce.
The livestreaming promotion on September 23 drew more than 19 million hits along with 13,556 orders. The sales volume reached 356,000 yuan. Nine Garze specialties found favor with online shoppers, especially preserved yak meat.
The livestreaming industry is flourishing in Hangzhou, the hub of China's e-commerce industry, thanks to the work of hundreds of wanghong (Internet celebrities) and their millions of followers.
The Garze region is capitalizing on the rise in livestreaming with people opting to buy products online rather than at physical outlets. Local departments and the pairing assistance team have made full use of Hangzhou's industrial advantages, giving Garze farmers a bigger market to sell their produce.
A pig farm in Garze. Tibetan pigs are known for their high-protein meat.
Prior to 2020, not all Zhejiang natives had heard of Garze. The situation didn't change until a 20-year-old Tibetan herdsman named Tamdrin, or Ding Zhen in Mandarin, was spotted and videotaped by a photographer in his hometown – Litang County in Garze Prefecture.
With Bambi eyes and a bright smile, Ding immediately went viral online. The search volume for "Garze" skyrocketed and people were surprised to find a prefecture that boasts breathtaking views and rich Tibetan culture.
With an increasing number of people interested in Garze Tibetan culture, the Hangzhou International Theater Festival, which kicked off on September 24, invited a local drama "Langsa Wenbo," or "A Girl Named Langsa," to be performed in Hangzhou. It tells a heroic story of a girl who fought against slavery in ancient times.
"We really appreciate what the Hangzhou government has done for Garze. It has given us an opportunity to spread our culture in Hangzhou. We are expecting a bigger stage in the future," said Duo Jijie, director of the drama.
Since the Chinese government initiated the pairing assistance program in the 1990s to help poverty-stricken regions, Hangzhou has been supporting the development of 11 cities and 47 counties across eight provinces.
Throughout the many years of assistance, Hangzhou has prioritized the economy, education and health care sectors in these areas. Talent and industrial resources have been dispatched there to improve people's well-being and raise their living standards.
