Xinhua Headlines: Tibetan New Year observed with festivity, hope

* Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Friday welcomed the first day of the Tibetan New Year with a flurry of festive foods, holiday greetings and traditional customs.

* From Lhasa, the regional capital, to the earthquake-impacted villages of Dingri County, families gathered for the festival, brimming with new hopes and expectations.

* According to reconstruction plans, all of the more than 120,000 people living in temporary shelters will be relocated to new homes by the end of 2025.

LHASA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Friday welcomed the first day of the Tibetan New Year with a flurry of festive foods, holiday greetings and traditional customs. From Lhasa, the regional capital, to the earthquake-impacted villages of Dingri County, families gathered for the festival, brimming with new hopes and expectations for the year ahead.

Early in the morning, Tseyang, a 34-year-old resident of downtown Lhasa, prepared local dried yak meat alongside imported snacks and drinks for her guests, including juice from Vietnam and chocolate from Japan.

She helped her two young children into their tailored traditional Tibetan attire before answering a video call from friends in Beijing. Her friends' children, though not Tibetan, put on new Tibetan clothing and wished her a happy Tibetan New Year.

"My friends asked me to buy Tibetan clothes for their kids here and have them delivered to Beijing, so they could join in the celebrations," said Tseyang, who graduated from a university in Beijing.

Tseyang had ordered new clothes for her own children from a local tailor two weeks prior.

"The tailor, an acquaintance of mine, told me I had to order many days in advance because he was too busy to accept new orders for the new year," she said.

Near the Barkhor Shopping Mall, a famed shopping location near Lhasa's landmark Barkhor Street, many homes have been decorated with red scrolls -- a custom for Chinese people celebrating the Spring Festival. Tibetan words like "Tashi Delek," meaning "good luck and happiness" are seen on the scrolls.

High school student Serga, 16, helped his mother sell Tibetan-style new year scrolls at the Barkhor Shopping Mall during his winter vacation. He sold more than 30 scrolls a day, with the daily sales revenue reaching nearly 1,000 yuan (about 140 U.S. dollars).

"The trend of hanging new year scrolls has become increasingly popular in Xizang in recent years as a way of expressing wishes for the new year," Serga said.

In addition to visiting his relatives, Serga plans to join his family to watch a traditional equestrian performance on the third day of the new year, a long-standing custom in Lhasa.

This year, the region has a six-day holiday in celebration of the festival, beginning on Thursday.

NEW HOPE

About 500 km from Lhasa, Ngawang Tsering and his neighbors in a village of Dingri County spent this Tibetan New Year in their prefabricated houses.

Despite the freezing temperatures at an altitude of over 4,300 meters, stoves fueled by cow dung and other fuels that were donated from across the region kept the shelters warm.

Nearby, workers from China Communications Road and Bridge North Engineering Co., Ltd. are busy constructing a reconstruction command center.

On Jan. 7, Dingri and the neighboring counties experienced a 6.8-magnitude earthquake that killed 126 people and leveled thousands of houses.

Located approximately 6 km from the epicenter, the village saw no death thanks to the swift actions of local rescue teams. All 76 households in the village, totaling 385 individuals, were relocated to temporary residences.

On the eve of the new year, Ngawang Tsering invited some of the workers for guthuk, a traditional Tibetan soup made of flour for celebrations.

"Their arrival brought us hope for rebuilding our homes. We are deeply grateful," said Ngawang Tsering.

Gao Jianwei, an employee from Hebei Province, mentioned it was his first time celebrating Tibetan New Year in Xizang.

"The flavor of guthuk reminds me a bit of the porridge from my hometown. It feels like I'm enjoying a taste of home here, bringing a unique sense of happiness," said Gao.

The company has also provided jobs to some villagers at the construction site. Previously, Ngawang Tsering had to work in Lhasa to support his family of nine. Now, he earns 260 yuan a day right at home, while caring for the elderly and children.

The reconstruction efforts in the affected counties will consider local living habits and respect residents' wishes. The reconstruction is expected to begin in March and April, with the first six villages scheduled to start soon.

"I hope the new house will be completed quickly, allowing us to celebrate the next Tibetan New Year in our new home," Ngawang Tsering said.

According to reconstruction plans, all of the more than 120,000 people living in temporary shelters will be relocated to new homes by the end of 2025.

(Video reporters: Lodro Gyatso, Purbu Tsering, Wu Sisi and Jiang Mengchen; Video editors: Tan Yixiao, Wei Yin and Zheng Qingbin)  ■