In May in Douyu Village, Douyu Lhoba Township in Lhunze County, Lhoka City in the Tibet Autonomous Region, a large area of highland barley has already emerged from the ground and the peach and apple trees have already turned green. This is the only Lhoba-inhabited area in Lhoka City. There are a total of 66 households and 254 people here, of which 53 households and 215 are ethnic Lhoba. Here, the traditional culture of the Lhoba people is inherited and innovated.

A performance of Lhoba original dance called The Spirit of the Hornbill is being performed on the village's square. Carrying a long knife and dancing with heroic spirit is Tashi Dhundrup, who became the lead dancer when the dance is choreographed in 2014. He went on to perform with the dance troupe at the Yarlong Cultural Festival in Lhoka city and at the 2015 Tibetan New Year Gala, which inspired him greatly. He has been able to share this style of dance with people outside his hometown, helping more and more people understand the unique ethnic culture of the Lhoba people, which has made him very happy.

Performance of The Spirit of the Hornbill.

Tashi Dhundrup began dancing Lhoba dance when he was 15 years old, and his love for the dance has never diminished. In the eyes of his son, he is an idol. For Tashi Dhundrup, watching his son grow up is a great care and comfort. Another interest is how his small businesses can profit. Not only is Tashi Dhundrup a dancer, he is also the owner of a family guesthouse, shop, and restaurant. In 2014, Douyu Lhoba Township invested a large amount of funds into improving infrastructure in the areas of transportation, irrigation works, and communications. The township also built the Douyu Lhonba Township Ecological Civilization Model Village, and Tashi Dhundrup's family was assigned to a 250-square meter two-story building. With only four people in the family, Tashi Dhundrup felt that the empty space in the house was being wasted, so he opened a family guesthouse. There are now some road workers who stay at the guesthouse.

Tashi Dhundrup makes change for a customer inside his shop.

In addition to an annual income of more than 30,000 yuan (4,668 US dollars) earned from the guesthouse, Tashi Dhundrup operates a small shop that sells daily goods and is also a small restaurant, where villagers come to sit in small groups. Tashi Dhundrup is responsible for collecting cash and selling merchandise, while his wife is responsible for making food in the kitchen.

Tashi Dhundrup's wife cook noodles for a guest in the kitchen.

For Tashi Dhundrup, the most enjoyable thing is dancing Lhoba dance and singing with fellow villagers in the village square during summer. Under the green trees, the rhythm of the music is lively, and the crowd of dancers moves gracefully and laughs.

"Now the country's policies are good. We don't need to spend money to send children to school, and can get more than 30,000 yuan subsidies from the government each year. There is also a portion of income that comes from collecting cordyceps, growing highland barley, potatoes, and oilseed rape gives us enough to eat for the year. Now that our income is high, our lives are getting better, and there is nothing to worry about. My only wish is that our children will be able to study well at school and grow up to make their own contributions to the country," Tashi Dhundrup said.

Editor: Tommy Tan.