STORY: Designed cookware facilitates residents' daily life in China's Xizang
SHOOTING TIME: March 9, 2024
DATELINE: March 11, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:19
LOCATION: LHASA, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Xizang
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): CHIDE, National lawmaker; Party chief of Pholrongthang Village, Nagqu
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): CHIDE, National lawmaker; Party chief of Pholrongthang Village, Nagqu

STORYLINE:

In China's Xizang, the high elevation, low air pressure and low boiling point of water make conventional cooking a time-consuming and laborious process.

In Nagqu, a prefecture-level city in Xizang with an average altitude of over 4,500 meters, water boils at around 85 degrees Celsius.

Pressure cookers address this problem, as they increase internal pressure through continuous heating, which raises boiling point of water, and hence, speeds up cooking process.

In a meeting of deputies from the delegation of Xizang at the second session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), an NPC deputy shared her story of using pressure cookers.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): CHIDE, National lawmaker; Party chief of Pholrongthang Village, Nagqu
"The use of the 'plateau pressure cooker' has truly significantly improved the safety and convenience of the daily lives for the plateau residents. It usually takes more than an hour to cook meat with a regular pot, and it's faster and safer using this pressure cooker."

Since 2022, the local government organs have cooperated with cookware enterprises to develop more than 30 multifunctional cooking products.

Local farmers and herders can purchase the specially designed pressure cookers at 100 to 200 yuan (13.9 to 27.8 USD) each, with a government subsidy.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): CHIDE, National lawmaker; Party chief of Pholrongthang Village, Nagqu
"In our own village, there are a total of 98 households, and currently, 72 households have chosen to purchase the 'plateau pressure cooker.' The coverage is indeed extensive. And it's not just about the sense of security that these 'plateau pressure cookers' bring to the people (in Xizang). As a deputy to the National People's Congress, I feel that it is also my duty to publicize our country's policies among the public, ensuring that people are informed about the measures aimed at enhancing their well-being."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lhasa, China.
(XHTV)