STORY: Looking back at days of heroism, humiliation in Tuna Township in China's Xizang
SHOOTING TIME: April 10, 2024/File
DATELINE: April 11, 2024
LENGTH: 00:04:29
LOCATION: LHASA, China
CATEGORY: POLITICS/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Qumigxung heroes monument
2. various of an earthen wall in Tuna Township
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Tibetan): NYIMA PHUNTSOK, Villager, Yadong County in China's Xizang
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Tibetan): NYIMA PHUNTSOK, Villager, Yadong County in China's Xizang
5. various of China's Xizang
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Tibetan): PHUNTSOK DORJE, Party secretary of Tuna, China's Xizang
7. SOUNDBITE 4 (Tibetan): NYIMA PHUNTSOK, Villager, Yadong County in China's Xizang

STORYLINE:

Tuna Township
Xigaze City
Xizang, China

An earthen wall in Tuna Township in China's Xizang stands as testament to the region's past humiliation and the heroism displayed by its people more than 120 years ago.

The wall, now part of the site of the Qumigxung heroes monument, was built 120 years ago by Tibetan soldiers to defend against British invasion.

83-year-old Nyima Phuntsok, a local villager, often makes his way to the earthen wall that outlasts his age, and pays tribute.

Since childhood, he was told that on March 31, 1904, over 1,400 Tibetan soldiers gathered to block the invading British force, who also ransacked monasteries and looted precious items there.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Tibetan): NYIMA PHUNTSOK, Villager, Yadong County in China's Xizang
"In the war with the British, the Tibetan soldiers suffered a major defeat. The British invaders deceived the Tibetan soldiers into extinguishing the fuses of their matchlock guns, which led to our complete loss. The British used advanced firearms to kill many Tibetan soldiers. They even used cannons to bombard houses, and some of the ruins can still be seen to this day. The extent of the damage caused is evident to anyone who comes to see our land."

Britain launched two invasions into Xizang, in 1888 and during 1903 and 1904, in an attempt to build up an exclusive colonial influence in the region.

It also tried to separate Xizang from China and ultimately turn it into a "buffer zone" against British-controlled northern India.

The British troops' invasions were both resisted by local Tibetan people.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Tibetan): NYIMA PHUNTSOK, Villager, Yadong County in China's Xizang
"Whether for the Tibetan ethnic group, or for the entire Chinese nation, anyone who understands this period of history would feel indignant and painful. Back then, the Tibetan soldiers suffered a devastating defeat. It was a painful chapter that must always be remembered. Therefore, we will tell our children about it, passing down the story from generation to generation, so that everyone knows this history and understands the miseries endured by our ancestors."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Tibetan): PHUNTSOK DORJE, Party secretary of Tuna, China's Xizang
"During that historical period in Qumigxung (1904), there was indeed British invasion of Xizang. From Qumigxung to Nenying Monastery, and then to Gyantse, they (British force) occupied villages, destroyed monasteries, and killed villagers -- all along this route, there were acts of plunder and slaughter. Now, in their foreign museums, artifacts like a Tibetan helmet taken from Xizang were all seized by force. They were by no means collected or voluntarily given by local people. Absolutely not."

It wasn't until decades later that Phuntsok's hometown, and other parts of Xizang, began to undergo tremendous changes.

Xizang underwent peaceful liberation when Phuntsok was 10 and the democratic reform began in 1959, when he turned 18.

Since then, Xizang has seen fast-paced growth.

In 2023, the per capita income in Tuna was close to 20,000 yuan (about 2,765 U.S. dollars).

SOUNDBITE 4 (Tibetan): PHUNTSOK DORJE, Party secretary of Tuna, China's Xizang
"Nowadays, the lives of the Tibetan people have undergone significant changes. Under favorable policies, people live and work in peace and contentment. The education, healthcare, housing, and various other aspects of ordinary citizens' lives are well protected by the country, with excellent policies, and everyone is very satisfied."

SOUNDBITE 5 (Tibetan): NYIMA PHUNTSOK, Villager, Yadong County in China's Xizang
"Living in a motherland like China, fills us with extreme pride, either for us Chinese people, or for people of our Tibetan ethnic group. It is truly remarkable."

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