Tibetan Treasures: China outlines efforts to protect minority cultures

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As the Tibet Autonomous Region modernizes and grows, there are fears that some of its ancient customs and languages could be lost forever. The Chinese government, however, said it values the region's diversity and is racing to save the land's unique cultures.

Deep in the Tibetan mountains lives a people you've likely never met and a language you've probably never heard. Tobgye is speaking Lhoba - a unique community composed of several tribes.

For centuries, the Lhoba lived largely in isolation, where few outsiders are allowed. In fact, Tobgye tells me I'm the first American he's ever met. Tobgye said his father's generation used to hunt for a living in the past. Life in his village has undergone enormous changes.

Only 3,600 Lhoba remain in Tibet Autonomous Region. So, the Chinese government is turning to tourism, encouraging tourists to visit and watch events like traditional sword dances.

Traditional Lhoba house built with wood partly renovated with cement and bricks. /CGTN Photo

Many Lhoba who used to hunt and farm now work as performers or tour guides. But some worry the attention also brings new challenges.

Tsering Chotso said many investors have come and built houses not quite like their original style. They used to build only with wood, but now many houses are built with cement and bricks. As they increasingly connect with the outside world, they are getting a bit worried.

Luo Deming, deputy director of the local culture bureau, said the culture is the soul and tourism is the platform. He thought it's necessary to preserve the cultural heritage from the ancestors and pass it on.

Tobgye works for the government and is pushing to get his native language better recorded. The Lhoba language doesn't have a written form. He worried that the culture and customs, as well as the language of the Lhoba ethnic group, are disappearing. For him, it's a race against time, to save an ancient culture facing a new world.

(Head Image: Lhoba man in traditional costumes sits with local villagers. /CGTN Photo)