BEHIND THE SCENES
As many netizens have pointed out, Tamdrin would not have been discovered if the remote, once poverty-stricken area had not been closely linked to the outside world. Through videos of the young Tibetan, people have also been able to see the changes in the country's southwestern plateau regions.
To the local government, Tamdrin's accidental success came as both a gift and a reward. With a population of around 73,000, the majority of people in Litang are engaged in animal husbandry. The development of Litang had long been restricted by inconvenient transportation and harsh natural conditions.
Poverty alleviation officials have made every effort to further boost tourism to enhance people's livelihoods in recent years. New roads were opened across the precipitous mountains and deep valleys in the region, leading travelers to famous spots such as "the Eye of the Geyen Mountain."
Other infrastructure has also been improved along the way. A small village close to Tamdrin's home became the last village in the county to be connected to the national power grid in late 2019, and internet coverage in the mountain-locked plateau areas laid the foundation for Tamdrin's overnight fame.
Zhou Peng, 30, was dispatched from Chengdu to Litang as a poverty alleviation official for three years. He and his colleagues went door to door to understand the villagers' real conditions and implemented poverty-alleviation plans accordingly. They have carried out various programs including those for medical support and tourism promotion.
Facing a tough natural environment and daunting tasks, local cadres exhausted their strength in the fight against poverty, and several of them died on duty due to overworking or traffic accidents, Zhou noted.
In February 2020, Litang shook off poverty. Zhou, who is finishing his tenure in the county, is proud that he's played a part in the achievement. "My heart will always be tied to this land, and my experience here will be treasured for life."
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Soon after Tamdrin's first video went viral, a local tour operator hired him as the tourism ambassador for Litang and brought him to his first destination, Chengdu, about 600 km away.
During his days in Chengdu, he had dozens of interviews and visited local tourist spots. The experience of a modern city was fresh and exciting, but he was already missing his family, friends and horse Pearl.
"My hometown is the most beautiful place in the world, with mountains, grasslands, lakes, and most importantly, and the kind folks," he said.
Despite his homesickness, Tamdrin has promised to be a diligent tourism promoter for his hometown. But he said that eventually, when he is not so popular online, he will probably continue his life as a herder.
His dream is to win every race as a "prince on horseback," and to ride his horse "across the mountains and over the hills," he said in his promotional video.
