Tongfang Academy
Micro Party Class · Issue 362
Igniting Skill Dreams on the Snowy Plateau
— Remembering the National Model Worker, a Skilled Technician in Tibet’s Modern Service Industry
Bianbazhuoga, Secretary of the Party Branch and Principal of the School
“Theoretical cultivation is the core of the comprehensive quality of Party members and cadres. Theoretical maturity is the foundation for political maturity, and political steadfastness stems from theoretical clarity.” For Party members and cadres, fostering a fine academic style and strengthening theoretical education are both fundamental requirements for cultivating Party spirit and an inescapable political responsibility.
Tongfang Law Firm provides all its lawyers with learning opportunities in the form of micro-party classes, thereby enhancing their ideological and political awareness as well as their spirit of learning and inquiry. By establishing a long-term educational mechanism, the firm has created a new platform for self-education and self-improvement.
In Nangre Township, located in the northern suburbs of Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region, a crystal-clear little river winds its way out of the valley beneath towering snow-capped mountains. Along the riverbank stands quietly a building in Tibetan style—the Tibet Modern Service Industry Technical School. As one of the first full-time private technical schools and a key institution for vocational education development in the Tibet Autonomous Region, the school has so far trained and sent more than 36,000 skilled professionals from various trades into society. As the principal of this technical school, Bianba Zhuoga, a Tibetan woman, has taken root here, dedicating her unwavering commitment and deep passion to writing a vivid chapter of skills-based education on the snowy plateau.
From “blueprints on paper” to “living, breathing land beneath our feet”
Skills and dreams take root and flourish.
Bianba Zhuoga’s connection with vocational and technical education began in 2008. “That year, I was 22 years old. After graduating from the Tibet Nationalities College, I started working at the Tibet Autonomous Region Culinary, Catering, and Hotel Industry Association,” Bianba Zhuoga recalled. “During my time there, I saw many farmers and herders unable to increase their incomes because they lacked professional skills. That’s when I resolved to do something truly meaningful.”
What Bamba Zhuoga referred to as “an event of extraordinary significance” was the establishment of a vocational training institution aimed at helping Tibetan farmers and herders acquire a skill that would enable them to take control of their own destinies.
But starting a vocational training institution means giving up one’s previous stable job. Why on earth would anyone deliberately choose to “put themselves through hardship”? Bianba Zhuoga said firmly, “The education level in Tibet is relatively low, and many people, lacking any specialized skills, are forced to take low-paying jobs that barely enable them to support their families and escape the mountains. I hope that through systematic skills training, I can help them grow and achieve their full potential.”
The blueprint of the dream is dazzling and spectacular, but turning that envisioned blueprint into reality from scratch is far from easy. Challenges such as funding gaps, a shortage of qualified teachers, and sluggish enrollment rates have emerged one after another. Yet, Bianba Zhuoga, armed with an unwavering determination to see things through no matter what, has tackled each obstacle head-on and overcome them one by one.
— Faced with the “funding hurdle,” Bianba Zhuoga tapped into most of his own savings and simultaneously worked hard to secure financial support from the Tibet Autonomous Region Culinary, Catering, and Hotel Industry Association. Finally, he managed to rent 11 single-story houses on Jinzhu West Road in Lhasa, transforming them into classrooms and dormitories, thus turning the Tibet Modern Service Industry Vocational Skills Training Center from a mere blueprint into a physical entity brimming with hope.
— To address the shortage of staff, Bianba Zhuoga and his two team members transformed themselves into “all-round warriors,” taking on everything from teaching and instruction to daily management, from procurement of supplies to logistical support. The three of them worked tirelessly from early morning until late at night, nurturing the seedlings of their cause with their sweat.
— To address the challenge of attracting students, Bianba Zhuoga went door-to-door in villages, chatting casually with farmers and herders. She painstakingly explained the importance of learning a trade, breaking it down into simple, straightforward words and vivid, real-life stories. As a result, the idea that “skills can change one’s destiny” took root and blossomed in the hearts of these farmers and herders...
Recalling those days of relentless hustle yet brimming with enthusiasm, Bianba Zhuoga reflected with emotion: “It was indeed incredibly hard, but I kept telling myself to persevere. Because deep down, I truly believed that skills are the golden key to rewriting one’s destiny. It was precisely this belief that served as my greatest source of motivation to keep going.”
Every hurdle is tough, yet every hurdle is overcome. Finally, in August 2008, the Tibet Modern Service Industry Vocational Skills Training Center, founded by Bianba Zhuoga, welcomed its first group of 32 students, each brimming with dreams. “At that time, the classroom conditions were very basic—whenever it rained heavily, it would even start raining lightly inside the room. So, teachers and students would just use small basins to catch the rain while enthusiastically carrying on with our classes,” Bianba Zhuoga recalled.
After completing the 45-day training period, under the careful guidance of Bianbazhuoga, the trainees have mastered various skills in preparing distinctive Tibetan delicacies. Some have found chef positions at star-rated hotels, while others have opened their own restaurants. Thus, this “good school right on your doorstep,” founded by the daring and resourceful Tibetan woman, has quietly gained popularity among her fellow villagers.
Precisely align with societal needs
Deliver an outstanding record in fostering talent.
Starting from a small, leaky hut, Bianbazhuoga’s dream of providing education has continued to grow. In 2018, the Tibet Modern Service Industry Vocational Skills Training Center was renamed the Tibet Modern Service Industry Vocational Skills Training School. In 2020, with strong support from the Department of Human Resources and Social Security of the Tibet Autonomous Region, the school underwent another upgrade and transformed into the Tibet Modern Service Industry Technical School. Today, the school has moved to a spacious and bright new campus, with its annual training capacity exceeding 2,000 people. It has become a well-known hallmark of technical education in the Tibet Autonomous Region, widely recognized by the local community.
As the school continues to grow in size, how to achieve high-quality, distinctive development has become a new challenge that Bianbazhuoga has been pondering day and night. “The school must closely follow the pulse of industrial development, precisely align with societal needs, and cultivate skilled professionals who are truly ‘useful and able to stay’—professionals who can contribute effectively to Tibet’s industrial development,” said Bianbazhuoga.
To achieve this goal, with the policy “east wind” and financial support from the Tibet Human Resources and Social Security Department, Bianbazhuoga led his team on a new journey of exploration. Based on the needs of Tibet’s industrial development, the school has established a comprehensive training system covering 19 different trades—ranging from traditional professions such as cooking and room service to emerging ones like barista and online livestreamer. Moreover, the school has forged close collaborative partnerships with more than 50 employers across the region, seamlessly connecting classroom learning with frontline industry practice and ensuring that graduates can immediately start working upon graduation.
“Our training is primarily aimed at farmers and herders from various cities and prefectures in Tibet, as well as unemployed urban residents. Most of them are rather shy and introverted, and tend to lack self-confidence.” To boost their confidence and enthusiasm for learning new skills, Bianbazhuoga often chats with the trainees during breaks, encouraging them to put what they’ve learned into practice.
“Originally, I was doing odd jobs at Lhasa Railway Station, earning just enough each day to cover my expenses. In 2016, I happened to meet Principal Bianba Zhuoga. She warmly encouraged me to learn a trade, so I followed her to the school and began studying Tibetan cuisine cooking,” said Sorang Dunzhu, a graduate, as he shared his story with the reporter. “At the school, Principal Bianba Zhuoga treated me like a mother—her kindness and warmth made me feel open and confident. After graduation, I rented a small shop and opened a Tibetan-style breakfast restaurant.”
Expressing his gratitude toward Bianba Zhuoga, Suolang Dunzhu repaid him with humble actions: “I’ve freely shared the secret recipe for Tibetan noodle seasonings that I’ve developed with students at the Tibet Modern Service Industry Technical School, and I’ve also taken on students from the school as apprentices. To date, more than ten apprentices have completed their training and found stable employment in Lhasa,” said Suolang Dunzhu.
Heartwarming stories like these keep unfolding on campus. For students eager to find employment, Bianbazhuoga acts as a matchmaker, recommending suitable positions for them. For those who aspire to start their own businesses, she arranges for teachers to provide hands-on technical guidance at their workplaces. And for students facing financial hardship, she coordinates donation programs, ensuring that these students can focus on their studies without worrying about their personal circumstances.
A remarkable record of talent cultivation has now been unveiled—so far, the Tibet Modern Service Industry Technical School has cumulatively trained 36,000 students. Among them, over 60% have secured stable employment with local enterprises, earning an average monthly salary of 5,000 yuan. Moreover, more than 5,400 graduates have started their own businesses, using their skills to write inspiring life stories on the snow-covered plateau.
Put social responsibility into practice
Pass on warmth through skills.
The Tibet Autonomous Region boasts abundant natural and cultural tourism resources. In recent years, its tourism service industry has flourished; however, it still faces challenges such as a shortage of professional talent and limited employment opportunities for local residents. In response to this situation, since 2012, Bianbazhuoga has been collaborating with the Tibet Autonomous Region Culinary, Catering, and Hotel Industry Association to jointly establish a “Practical Base for Ideological and Belief Education + Association-Backed Entrepreneurship Support Program.”
“This project fosters collaboration among schools, associations, enterprises, and villages to provide agricultural and pastoral workers with skills training and entrepreneurship support,” explained Bianba Zhuoga. “Our school offers skills training in fields such as catering and tourism services, tailored to the resource endowments of each village and the skill-development needs of farmers and herders. The Tibet Autonomous Region Culinary, Catering, and Hotel Industry Association connects these villagers with local enterprise resources, providing entrepreneurial guidance to those who wish to start their own businesses. Meanwhile, the village collective economy serves as a platform for villagers to find employment and launch their own ventures. At the same time, the base consistently integrates ideological guidance throughout the entire process, using courses on gratitude education and ethnic unity to deeply instill in participants the conviction of ‘being grateful to the Party, listening to the Party, and following the Party.’”
To date, a total of 23 “Ideals and Beliefs Education Practice Bases + Association-Based Entrepreneurship Support Projects” have blossomed across the Tibetan areas. The Catering and Performing Arts Center in Apei New Village, Gongbujiangda County, Nyingchi City, is one of the outstanding fruits borne by this innovative model.
The Apei New Village Catering and Performing Arts Center is located right next to the entrance of National Highway 318, the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. In its spacious, distinctly Tibetan-style hall, the rich aromas of signature Tibetan dishes such as stone-pot chicken mingle with the lively melodies of Gongbu Tibetan songs and dances. This unique venue, jointly run by 27 villagers who have received culinary training, welcomes over 30,000 visitors each year. The village collective sees an annual income increase of more than 800,000 yuan, and employees enjoy an average monthly salary of 4,500 yuan.
“Since 2012, Principal Bianbazhuoga has been regularly bringing teachers from the Tibet Modern Service Industry Technical School to our village, personally teaching us how to prepare specialty Tibetan cuisine,” said Mima Cuicheng, who transformed from a farmer and herdsman into a restaurant manager. “With these skills, I’ve led my entire family to ‘live off tourism,’ and our life is getting more and more exciting!”
On the journey of cultivating skills, Bianba Zhuoga has always been driven by great compassion. Under her leadership, teachers and students at the Tibet Modern Service Industry Technical School have seized every opportunity to bring training directly to grassroots communities, actively engaging in activities such as visiting and comforting elderly villagers and preparing caring meals for sanitation workers—thus demonstrating with concrete actions the warmth and humanity of their skills. “We often tell our students that mastering skills isn’t just about changing one’s own destiny; it’s also about giving back to society and spreading warmth,” said Bianba Zhuoga.
“The essence of education is one tree shaking another, one cloud propelling another, and one soul awakening another.” This profound saying perfectly captures Bianbazhuoga’s educational vision. “Going forward, I will continue to lead my team in deepening our commitment to vocational and technical education, enabling more children from farming and pastoral communities to light up their lives with a skilled trade and injecting sustained momentum into the development of their hometowns,” said Bianbazhuoga.
Source | People's Daily Online, Official Website for Party History Study and Education
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Tongfang Academy Micro-Party Class, Episode 363: Cultivating the Habit of Self-Reflection and Self-Motivation
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Tongfang Academy Micro-Party Class, Issue 359: Solidify the Soul of Communist Party Members—Firmly Upholding Ideals and Beliefs
