Economic Development Underpins Cultural Protection

Aided by other regions of China and with the efforts of its people, Tibet has seen rapid economic development in this century. For ten years the Tibet economy has maintained an average annual growth of 12.4 percent. Zhou Wei believes that growing economic strength will give the TAR stronger financial support for the protection of traditional Tibetan culture.

The Tibetan language, without the social and economic development provided by the establishment of an education system, would struggle to survive. In the effort to save Pattra-leaf scriptures and the epic King Gesar from extinction, financial support is crucial.

To transmit and develop a cultural heritage, the living environment is critical, a fact Zhou Wei has become increasingly convinced of by his studies in the Tibetan countryside. Housing projects in the rural areas of TAR have a huge impact on way of life and on the endurance of ethnic culture. He asserts that only when farmers live securely can they attend to their cultural needs: with greater affluence they can afford to invite troupes to perform Tibetan Opera in their communities, invite folk ballad singers to recite the King Gesar epic, decorate their prayer rooms, hire artists to create murals, or invite lamas to teach the Buddhist scriptures at home. The elevated living standard is the real driving force behind the growing trend of Tibetan festival culture revival.