Tibetannet

Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region has spent more than 5 billion yuan (772 million U.S. dollars) over the past six years on improving the region's rural areas, authorities said Tuesday.

The region began the project in 500 villages in 2010. It has now been expanded to cover 4,900 villages, almost the entire rural area of the region, according to the region's office for the farmer and herders housing project.

As of the end of 2015, 5.7 billion yuan has been used to finance the construction of rural libraries, cultural and sports facilities, mobile movie services, clinics, solar-powered lighting, roads, utilities and landscaping, said Tsering Namgyal, deputy head of the office.

"It feels like we live in a park," said Migmar from Rato Village in Quxu County.

Migmar recalled that livestock excrement once dotted the bumpy and muddy roads, and there were no street lights.

Thanks to the campaign, the village has concrete roads, street lights, a sewerage system, as well as sports facilities.

Lhapa, head of the village's Party committee, said every household was assigned a certain area of the village to keep clean, and people have been employed to deal with garbage inspection and disposal.

Tsering Namgyal said the region will also design measures to improve the spiritual life of farmers and herders.