Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is located in Southern Gansu province. The remote location once hindered the region's communication with other parts of China and foreign countries. It's especially the case in Maqu County where the Yellow River takes its first turn. But a local, Tsedup, who has married a British woman, pledges to improve this. Liu Wei reports.

In recent years, the remote areas inhabited by Tibetan people in Southern Gansu province have been communicating more frequently with the outside world. With road conditions improving and the economy developing, local people are gaining more exposure to the modern culture of China and the world.

Tsedup Karko, the son of a nomad family, is a good example. He went to study in India when he was 18 years old, and then married a British girl. Now he, his wife and their four-year-old son live both in London and Maqu county of Gansu province. With experience in foreign countries, he says communication between different cultures does not harm ancient cultures.

I mean preserving a culture is very important, but not in a sense that only anthropologists can come around and study people. Isolation and preservation are completely different. So I think people should be in touch with other people. And we are human beings so that we need communication. That's what i'm trying to do. I hope I can help this town here, the young people

For hundreds of years, there has also been spontaneous interaction between Tibetan culture and the Han culture from other parts of China. As a Tibetan, Tsedup says this is good, as both cultures can benefit.

Interaction is always good. People should meet and talk to each other. I don't think that's a problem. We just need to respect one another and help each other. I don't think it can terminate anything. The place is still Tibetan, and if you look at the Monasteries, they are still Tibetan.

When I paid the visit to Maqu, Tsedup's father in law, Mr. Stan Buckley a banker in Britain was also in Maqu. He said foreigners can't have a real picture of Tibetan people's lives unless they come to China.

The people are very friendly, very smile a lot. We feel very welcome wherever we go, and we think the culture is very distinct, very distinct to them, very different from everything we see in the west. We see things changing. Quite obviously there is a lot of investment coming. I look around and see a lot of cranes.

He said he is happy that local people can share the benefits from China's fast economic development.

From: CRI
By: Liu Wei