At the Shannan Trade Fair, a livestreamer is promoting local specialties. (Photo by Tsering Longbu/China Economic Visual)
Local specialty products were displayed in an orderly manner at the Shannan Trade Fair. (Photo by Tsering Longbu/China Economic Visual)
The 45th Yarlung Commodity Exchange Fair (hereinafter referred to as the "Fair") was recently held in Nedong District, Shannan City, Tibet, on the banks of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. The seven-day event attracted 2,635 exhibitors and received over 166,100 visitors and buyers, achieving a total transaction volume of 782 million yuan, an increase of 11.4% compared to the previous fair. All three figures—visitor numbers, total transaction volume, and year-on-year growth rate—set new historical records.
Over the past 45 years, the trade fair has become the most important consumer event in Shannan and even Tibet during the winter, serving as an important platform for showcasing the development of distinctive industries and a vital channel for increasing the income of farmers and herdsmen.
Stimulate consumption
At the trade fair, beef and mutton from various pastoral areas in Shannan were displayed in an orderly manner, and these were the most popular products at the fair. Wooden bowls, woolen fabrics, Tibetan clothing, and Tibetan incense from agricultural areas also attracted visitors.
Tsering Deki, a resident of Nedong District, arrived at the trade fair early. After careful selection, she spent over 10,000 yuan on yak and mutton. Every year, her family buys beef and mutton from the trade fair. "I've kept this habit for over 10 years," Tsering Deki said. "At the trade fair, herders bring their best beef and mutton to sell; the quality is good and it's worth buying."
In the late autumn and early winter of the 1960s and 70s, farmers and herders with leisure time would gather around cities with various daily necessities to barter. In 1981, the Shannan Prefecture Administrative Office took the initiative to organize the first Yarlung Trade Fair, bringing the scattered and disorderly markets into standardized management. Since then, the scale of the trade fair has continued to expand, and the transaction volume has increased year by year.
"After 45 years of development, the trade fair is the largest consumption event in Tibet during the winter, whether in terms of scale, transaction volume, or sales revenue," said Yang Zhanhui, deputy director of the Consumption Promotion Department of the Tibet Autonomous Region Department of Commerce. "It is also a concrete practice of promoting consumption and benefiting people's livelihoods."
Over the past 45 years, Shannan City has gradually expanded its management and services for the trade fair to include comprehensive support. Liu Man, deputy director of the office of the Shannan City Tax Bureau, recalled that when he first started working, the trade fair was held on a simple open space in the suburbs, and the tax department would organize staff to go there every year to explain tax incentive policies. In 2019, the trade fair was relocated to a specialized market in Zedang Street, marking the beginning of professional development for the traditional market. "In the past two years, the city has also opened a special bus line to the trade fair, making it more convenient for everyone to get there," Liu Man said.
The staff of the organizing committee, Naidong District, have a deep understanding of the changes in this consumer event. Wen Haiyong, deputy director of the Naidong District Bureau of Commerce, said that the trade fair initially only involved local merchants and consumers from Shannan. In recent years, more and more merchants and consumers from surrounding cities have participated, and even many foreign merchants have joined.
Pakistani businessman Qashif Bashir is attending the trade fair for the second time. He values the market potential of the fair and has brought several fellow countrymen with him this time, preparing a larger quantity of goods. "Here, in addition to selling products, you can also buy interesting local specialties," said Qashif Bashir. Through the trade fair, he has deeply experienced the cultural and commercial charm of Shannan.
At this trade fair, Naidong District also provided free accommodation for participating merchants who needed it. "The trade fair's influence and attractiveness are getting stronger and stronger," said Wen Haiyong. As the organizer, he added that they will better organize and serve merchants and consumers from all over the country, and build this platform even better.
Drive industrial development
"Family members, what I'm holding in my hand right now is 'Lecanglian' tea! We have four major product systems: large-leaf tea, black tea, green tea, and instant tea..." On the e-commerce live-streaming street set up at the trade fair, Dawa Quzhen, a live streamer from Cuona City under the jurisdiction of Shannan, introduced her hometown's specialties in a great way.
At this trade fair, Shannan City set up a large-scale "e-commerce live streaming zone" for the first time, organizing more than 436 live streaming sales events, generating over 35.249 million online impressions. Hundreds of the city's featured products were sold nationwide through online live streaming.
“In the past, when the product volume was small, I was afraid of running out of stock if I did a lot of live streaming. Now, with the increase in scale and output, I am more confident in doing live streaming,” said Dawa Quzhen. She added that the fruitful results achieved by Shannan in recent years in vigorously developing its characteristic industries have given her more confidence in promoting products from her hometown.
Taking the tea industry as an example, in recent years, Cuona City has vigorously supported the development of the tea industry, providing guidance and policy support in planting, deep processing, and brand cultivation. Currently, the planting area of "Lecanglian" tea has reached 693 mu (approximately 46.5 hectares), with a total of 4.622 million tea trees cultivated, and an annual output of about 5 tons. Nima Zhaxi, head of the Cuona branch of Tibet E-commerce, said that Cuona City's specialty agricultural products include not only tea, but also more than ten kinds such as highland barley and chili sauce. On the opening day alone, online orders for Cuona products exceeded 2,000, and the offline exhibition booths were almost completely sold out. "The popularity of our products has further increased our confidence," said Nima Zhaxi.
At the "Dawa Zhuoma" clothing booth, Tashi Sangbu from Qonggyai County, Shannan City, was sewing. Traditional "pulu" (a type of Tibetan wool fabric) and auspicious patterns, combined with designs more suited to modern daily needs, have resulted in highly popular Tibetan clothing, sold nationwide both online and offline. Tashi Sangbu's studio now designs dozens of new products annually, generating an annual output value of 3 million yuan.
To facilitate the export of cultural relics from Tibet, the Shannan Municipal Government has allocated 1 million yuan in special logistics subsidies during this year's trade fair. This initiative has encouraged several logistics companies, including JD Logistics and China Post, to set up service points on-site and offer a "free nationwide shipping for online shopping" policy. Consumers can enjoy convenient delivery services by placing orders through online platforms, significantly enhancing their shopping experience.
Helping people increase their income
For 45 years, Puntsok Tenzin from Zhazha Village, Zhegu Town, Cuomei County, has participated in the trade fair every year. "Initially, I could earn two or three thousand yuan each time I participated, but now I can earn seventy or eighty thousand yuan each time," said Puntsok Tenzin. He added that this year, more than 400 vehicles and more than 1,000 people from his village participated in the trade fair, selling beef and mutton with the fragrance of the local grasslands to distant places. The trade fair has become an important channel for herders to increase their income.
As a major beef and mutton producing area in Shannan, farmers and herders in Cuomei County actively participate in the trade fair every year. This year, 1,008 merchants from Cuomei County participated, bringing 2,600 yaks and 22,600 sheep. On the opening day, sales of "Cuomei Goods" reached 5 million yuan.
Besides beef and mutton, the melodious sounds of the zither and beautiful singing drew a steady stream of people to the "Zhamunian" (meaning "six-stringed lute" in Tibetan) stall in Qusong County. Losang Quzha from Qusong County is trying to provide consumers with a new setting and experience for making and playing "Zhamunian".
"I never expected that this attempt would result in cumulative sales exceeding 100,000 yuan," Losang Quzha said happily while playing the Zhamunian.
At the trade fair, agricultural and livestock products, the fruits of a year's labor by farmers and herdsmen, reached a wider market, showcasing the achievements of the city's distinctive industries, and allowing consumers to purchase their desired products. At each stall, the atmosphere was not just one of bustling trade, but also one of vibrant life and a promising future.
For 45 years, Shannan City has maintained the traditional commodity exchange fair, a major consumer event that allows consumers to experience the vibrant atmosphere of local life. "Through this platform and mechanism, the commodity exchange fair facilitates the convergence of people, goods, information, and capital. It can be said that the fair not only meets the expectations of the people but also aligns with policy directions such as promoting trade and commerce, boosting consumption, and fostering coordinated regional economic development," said Wang Qingxian, Vice President of the Party School of the Tibet Autonomous Region. (Economic Daily reporter Dai Ling)
