China's highest township achieves rising incomes, improved services despite harsh plateau conditions

(ECNS) - At 5,373 meters above sea level, where annual temperatures hover below minus 7 degrees Celsius and oxygen levels are less than 40% of those at sea level, China's highest administrative township is undergoing a steady transformation fueled by infrastructure investment and public services.

Pumajiangtang township in Langkazi county, Shannan city of Xizang Autonomous Region, was once known for its harsh climate and isolation.

Today, local officials point to improvements in housing, household income, heating and oxygen supply as signs of changing living conditions.

According to local official data, the township's total economic output rose from 9.58 million yuan ($1.3 million) in 2012 to 34.67 million yuan in 2025. Per-capita disposable income increased from 6,147 yuan to 31,720 yuan over the same period.

The most striking transformation has been in local living conditions. Seventy-nine-year-old resident Ouzhu said he had witnessed four generations of housing, from nomadic tents before democratic reforms to earthen dwellings, later resettlement housing, and most recently, the modern homes built in 2019.

Township chief Yang Gang told China News Network that improving living conditions has been challenging because construction is constrained by long winters, frozen pipes and a short building season. To address those challenges, local authorities conduct monthly household inspections and have upgraded water infrastructure in villages.

Yang said all 280 households in the township have now been equipped with air-source heat pumps and home oxygen concentrators.

Local officials have also sought to expand educational and cultural exchanges.

Vice township chief Zhang Zhengqiu said that a video-link program connecting local kindergarten students with children in Anhui province was launched to promote mutual understanding between the regions.

Pumajiangtang has begun attracting visitors. In September 2024, it hosted a cycling challenge around Lake Puma Yumco, which was certified as the world's highest-altitude cycling race by average course elevation, drawing athletes, tourists, and local spectators.

"Life here is not easy, whether you are a government official or a resident," Zhang said. "But staying here and serving the people is worthwhile."

(By Zhang Jiahao)