Sonam Yarphel has a cup of buttered tea at home in Mainling County of Nyingchi, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, March 30, 2021. Sonam Yarphel, an 84-year-old man in Mainling County, was once a serf in old Tibet. "We grazed cattle in the mountains all year round, but not a single one belonged to us. Climbing mountains starving was my deepest memory when I was a child." said Sonam Yarphel when recalling his life in the old time. In 1956, Sonam Yarphel decided to leave home and become a monk in Lhasa as his life was so difficult and being a monk could exempt him from taxes. However, inspired by a fellow countryman who was doing translation work for the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) at that time, Sonam Yarphel gave up the idea of entering a monastery and chose to go to school and became the first batch of students from Tibet to study in the inland areas. In 1959, Sonam Yarphel voluntarily signed up to return to Tibet to participate in the democratic reform work. Later, He became a district governor, leading the villagers in pursuit of a better life. Now, Sonam Yarphel has retired. He lives in a Tibetan-style villa and leads a happy life with his children and grandchildren. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)
