Technologies empower Xizang's highland barley industry

The highland barley industry has been thriving in recent years in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, with technologies facilitating the cultivation and deep processing of the staple food for residents of the region.

Highland barley has been planted in Xizang for more than 3,500 years. The wine made from it is a local necessity and the Zanba made of its flour is a staple food for Tibetans to start the day with.

Gyangze County in the city of Xigaze is a major highland barley production base in the autonomous region,as its highland barley planting area in 2024 reached 7,773 hectares, with an output of 62,000 tonnes.

The barley industry has grown into a pillar of the county's economy. From traditional barley wine to bread and biscuit, the total output value of highland barley deep processing industry in 2024 reached 148 million yuan (about 20.62 million U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of 66 percent.

In the county, a tech firm specializing in developing highland barley products launched China's first grain production line dedicated for highland barley in September last year, increasing the extraction rate of barley flour from 60 percent to 70 percent.

Besides, the company, in collaboration with multiple research institutions including the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Jiangnan University, has developed baking premix made of modified barley flour, a technical breakthrough as traditional barley flour is unsuitable for making bread due to a lack of gluten.

"This baking mix is the highest-value product coming off our production line. It overcomes highland barley's biggest limitation of only being suitable for tsampa (a traditional Tibetan staple food), because it wouldn't bind properly. Now it's being widely adopted by bakeries," said Guo Wenhong, head of the tech firm.

The barley is also made into Zongzi, or sticky rice dumplings, noodles and popcorn, which are very popular among customers.

And the barley industry in Gyangze is gradually transitioning from traditional rough processing to advanced value-added production.

"Products like highland barley popcorn and Masen snacks (a Tibetan pastry) have become online bestsellers. They typically sell out within minutes after they are put on the shelf. Through our integrated business model linking companies, cooperatives and local farmers, we've already secured orders for 7,000 tons of highland barley this year, with annual volume expected to reach 15,000 tons. The total output value of the deep processing industry throughout the year is projected to exceed 170 million yuan (about 23.66 million U.S. dollars), a 21 percent increase year on year," said Kong Jinqiu, director of the Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in Gyangze.

While highland barley products sell briskly, growing techniques have also upgraded from traditional trial-and-error methods to tech-driven precision.

In Nudui Village, a key barley-producing zone in Xizang, digital systems now manage the entire process.

"These days we're spraying foliar fertilizer on our highland barley crops. In the past, manual spraying required about half an hour per mu (about 0.067 hectare). Now with drones, we can cover over 30 mu (two hectares) with the same length of time. We can get done with over 2,500 mu (166.67 hectares) in our village in just two days," said Pugui, secretary of the Party branch of Nudui Village.

Since 2024, Xigaze has pioneered digital technologies in highland barley cultivation.

Across counties including Gyangze, devices of Internet of Things like mini weather stations, soil moisture sensors, and pest monitors have been deployed in barley fields. The real-time data feeds into the big data platform for the highland barley industry in the city, enabling precision irrigation, fertilization, and data-driven farming decisions.

Xizang now cultivates about 153,000 hectares of highland barley, with an annual output of 888,000 tons. The region has developed over 80 deep-processing products across four major categories, generating annual processing output value of over 1.2 billion yuan.

Technologies empower Xizang's highland barley industry

A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.

Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.

In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.

"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.

Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.

In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.

"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.

By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.

After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.

"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.

Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.

As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.

Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media