11th Panchen Lama visits rural families
On July 26, the 11th Panchen Erdeni Choskyi Gyalpo traveled to Jaggang Village in Rutog County, Ngari Prefecture, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, for survey and research, and he paid a visit to the families of Wangdul Phuntsok and Tashi Dundrup.
Jaggang Village is located in the southern part of Rutog County, 70 kilometers away from the county town. It is a typical plateau village.
Inside the home of Wangdul Phuntsok, the 11th Panchen Lama carefully asked about the family's production and living conditions. "Are there changes between your past and present life ?" "Are you keeping well; what about your knees?" "Do you go out for a travel?" "How do you keep warm in winter?" "How do the livestock sustain when it snows?" "How many TV channels do you get?" The 11th Panchen Lama chatted happily with Wangdul Phuntsok's family.
Wangdul Phuntsok said: "The previous generation of our family were all nomads, and living conditions were very poor. Now we live a happy life. And our life has improved a lot."
Upon learning that there is a college senior in Wangdul Phuntsok's family who hopes to stay in his hometown and find a good job, the 11th Panchen Lama said: "Your generation has already grown up, you should return home and contribute to the development of your hometown."
Afterwards, the 11th Panchen Lama visited the home of Tashi Dundrup.
"Our family used to live in a mud brick house, but look at this big house where my family lives now. I only paid 60,000 yuan (8,542.75 US dollars), and the rest of the money was paid by the government," Tashi Dundrup said to the 11th Panchen Lama. "This amount of money was no burden on my family. Because the government gives us grassland subsidies, border resident subsidies, and forestry subsides, this earns us around 50,000 yuan (7,118.96 US dollars) per year."
63-year-old Tashi Dundrup's most important task is to take his grandchild to school and brought him back home every day. The 11th Panchen Lama said: "You must prioritize education and educate your children well, because the future development depends on the next generation. This way, future generations will live happy lives one after another. I will pray for you every day and pray for your happiness and health. When I have the chance, I will come visit you again."
The 11th Panchen Lama visits villagers' home and chats with them.
The 11th Panchen Lama ties a longevity knot for the elder members of Wangdul Phuntok's family.
The 11th Panchen Lama visits villagers' home.
The 11th Panchen Lama blesses the villagers of Jaggang Village.