Source: Xinhuanet.com
11-28-2008 18:26
Special Report: 30 Years of ChangesUrumqi, Nov. 14 -- Naoabati Ethnic Tajik Township of Pishan County in Xinjiang is a small remote mountainous township where generations of ethnic Tajik people, with a relatively small population, have been living, And today, this beautiful Shangri-La like place is also telling stories on the changes and development taken place during the 30 years of reform and opening-up.
Abudukader Toksun, a 64-year-old Tajik man, feels that the cities which used to be unreachable for the Tajik villagers living in the remote mountains now seem much closer. The old man is profoundly impressed by the changes made in areas such as transportation and telecommunications.
Abudukader Toksun said, because the village is located deep in the mountains, the roads leading to the outside world used to be rough and bumpy. It normally took eight hours to reach the county town, which is 70 kilometers away, but now it takes just one hour. If you leave in the morning on a trip into town for errands, you can be back home by noon.
He said, among the 882 people in the township, one third of them now have their own cell phones. Today even many Tajik herdsmen carry cell phones while tending the herds. When they are not busy, they can chat with their family members living elsewhere. In the past, when night came, the whole township went dark and quiet. But today every household has a TV set, and TV dramas have greatly enriched the life of the people.
When the reporter visited Sapaer’s house in Kangazi Village, the 55-year-old herdsman was butchering a lamb, and the eyes of the two kids in the family were glued to the TV screen. Sapaer said in the past they seldom butchered lamb unless it was a holiday. But nowadays whenever there are pregnant women or fragile patients in the family they will butcher a lamb to nourish them.
According to Sapaer, this year, his family has raised 150 lambs and four cows, so fresh milk is available everyday. In recent years, the family´s annual income has been over 40,000 yuan and their quality of life has improved immensely.
According to the local government, the Naoabati Ethnic Tajik Township was established more than 20 years ago. In the past, it was just like a small mountain village. Located deep in the mountains, it was barely developed and had basically maintained its natural appearance. There was neither electricity nor running water, and it was very difficult for people to seek medical treatment or children to go to school.
Now, the township has got a primary school, a middle school, a township medical center, three village health centers, as well as other public affairs institutions, such as the cultural station, broadcasting station, veterinary station, rural economy station and agricultural machinery station. Thirty years ago, none of such institutions could be found; today, however, they are all here to serve the local population.
Reporters noticed that the road leading to the county town is currently being reconstructed and widened. The narrow sandstone road will soon be replaced by a wide asphalt road, making travel much more convenient for the people in this small township.
Translated by LOTO
Editor:Ying Yu
