CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Wednesday, January 16, 2019 | 5 CHINA
LOCAL TWO SESSIONS Region boosts profile of ancient Tibetan healing
By PALDEN NYIMA cine, and we want to contribute a and DAQIONG in Lhasa little to the country’s Healthy Chi na plan,” he said. Doctors working in the Tibet Tenshung Drakpa said it was autonomous region’s traditional great news and auspicious that Tibetan medicine hospitals are feel Lum medicinal bathing had been ing more confident about their added to the UNESCO list. careers thanks to the regional gov In the past 20 years, he has ernment’s efforts to boost recogni apprenticed more than 2,000 tion of traditional healing practices. Tibetan doctors and medical stu The region plans to strengthen dents, and more than 700 have public health and its traditional become independent practitioners. Tibetan medical heritage, Qi Zhala, Not only has the tradition been chairman of the regional govern passed on in many Tibetan areas ment, said at the opening of the but it has also been introduced to region’s people’s congress last week. hospitals in coastal cities and is With a written history of more gradually becoming known in non than 3,800 years and oral history Tibetan communities in China. of more than 10,000 years, tradi In 2004, after one of Tenshung tional Tibetan medicine is consid Drakpa’s papers about Tibetan ered an important component of medicine became popular, a book traditional Chinese medicine. was published with the assistance Firefighters suppress a blaze at an automobile component market in Guiyang, Guizhou province, on Tuesday. No one was injured in the fire, In recent years, the region has of his students, which has become which broke out in the morning. QIU LINGFENG / FOR CHINA DAILY been racking up achievements in the textbook for the practice. the preservation and development Many of Tenshung Drakpa’s of ancient culture thanks to official ancestors were traditional Tibetan support and individual efforts. doctors, as his father, he said. He has According to Tibet’s 2018 gov already passed on his knowledge to ernment work report, more than his eldest son, Tenzin Gyalpo, and Standards for firefighters rise 1.9 million people were screened one of his daughters, Tsethar. They for tuberculosis, hepatitis and both now work as Tibetan doctors. rheumatism last year, and 50 key Tenshung Drakpa said he will public health projects were suc continue to train more students in cessfully implemented. Tibet, and hopes to introduce as new guidelines take effect Lum medicinal bathing in the Tibetan medicine to many more traditional Tibetan medical system hospitals in other provinces. known as sowa rigpa was added to With a history of at least 3,800 firefighters to 24, and specified that training in their first year and work UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Her years, Tibet’s Manling county is syn Recruits must have at least high school only senior high school graduates or as interns in the second year before itage of Humanity list in November. onymous with Tibetan medical cul education, serve minimum of five years people with higher educational back assuming full duties — an arrange A nationallevel ethnic medicine ture. Historical records show that grounds could become firefighters. ment in line with the objective of clinical research center was estab Yuthok Yonten Gonpo, the founder The age limit can be extended to fostering professionalism, accord lished in Lhasa last year to standard of systematic traditional Tibetan By HOU LIQIANG trol were transferred to the new 26 if the candidate has a bachelor’s ing to a statement from the Ministry ize Tibetan medicine, and Lhasa’s medicine, trained practitioners, [email protected] ministry to form the national fire degree or higher. Those who once of Emergency Management, reply Tibetan Traditional Medical Col dispensed medicines in Manling and rescue team. served in the armed forces will be ing to questions from China Daily. lege, China’s only college dedicated and wrote about its achievements The reform of the country’s The establishment of the team is given priority in admission, the According to the statement, the to traditional Tibetan medicine, was in the 8th and 9th century. recruitment system for firefighters one of China’s recent attempts to guideline said. first recruitment of firefighters upgraded to a university last month. Tsewang Nyima, the county’s will help form a national rescue modernize its national governance It also stipulates a minimum ser since the change is expected to Tsering Norphel, head of the head, said the addition of Tibetan team with enhanced professional system and capabilities. The effort vice period of five years, up from the begin this month. region’s Sog county, said that his medical bathing to the UNESCO ism, according to experts. was ordered by the Third Plenary two years set by the Military Service For encouragement, the ministry county will continue to boost list presented an opportunity for Firefighters who were once part of Session of the 18th Central Commit Law. Those who quit earlier will be said that members of the national Tibetan traditional medicine, with future development. the military put on new blue uniforms tee of the Communist Party of China deprived of qualifications to be a fire and rescue team will be given its Tibetan Medical and Astrono To help preserve the heritage last month that reflected their new in 2013, led by Xi Jinping as its gen public servant and will be given a government jobs if they retire from my Hospital being a leading repos and boost economic development, identity: They are now part of the Chi eral secretary. record in the country’s credit infor the team serving 12 years. itory of knowledge. Manling is building a Tibetan tra na Fire and Rescue team under the Recruitment of firefighters has mation system. Those with outstanding perform “The ancient Tibetan medical ditional medical museum that will Ministry of Emergency Management. been changed as well. A new guide Ma Baocheng, a professor of public ance will be sent to study in fire and tradition of tsajong — giving a pur showcase Yuthok Yonten Gonpo’s The change was made following line was released by the Ministry of management at the Party School of emergency management colleges gative — has been lost in most achievements in the county. the country’s latest institutional Human Resources and Social Secu the CPC Central Committee (Chinese and become commanders. Even if Tibetan areas, but we have Ten “We will work together with reshuffle in March, when 13 respon rity and the top emergency manage Academy of Governance), said that the members of the team serve less shung Drakpa and his team still acknowledged Tibetan medical sibilities from 11 government bod ment authority at the end of since firefighting and emergency res than 12 years, they will be offered preserving the treasure,” he said. enterprises such as the Qizheng ies, mostly related to disaster relief, December. cue have high requirements for pro subsidies, it said. With tsajong named a regional Tibetan Medicine Group to oper were shifted to the newly estab Previously, firefighters were fessionalism, extending of the service Ma said that despite the reform, intangible culture heritage and ate the Gonpo Manlung Yuthok lished emergency ministry. recruited under the Military Service period to at least five years will ensure the effectiveness of members of the 65yearold Tenshung Drakpa recog Tibetan Medical Vocational School As part of the reshuffle, firefight Law and were managed as soldiers. that members of the team have national fire and rescue team will nized as a regional level intangible and attract students from the ers under public security authorities Under that law, Chinese citizens could enough time to gain the necessary remain as high as when they were cultural inheritor, the endangered region and other Tibetan places,” and those from the armed forest enroll to serve from age 18 to 22. The skills and knowledge for their work. soldiers because militarystyle man practice has passed to hundreds of Tsewang Nyima said. police responsible for forest fire con new guideline lifted the age limit of Recruited firefighters will receive agement will be maintained. Tibetan doctors, he said. “Further, we want to build a Tibet “This year, I have proposed that an medicinal herbal plantation zone tsajong be included on the nation near the school. We want to culti al intangible cultural list, and vate some of the endangered herbal eventually our goal is to apply for a plants and other Tibetan herbs. Criminal gang leader sentenced to life in prison UNESCO listing as well,” he said. “A plantation is needed because Tashi Tobgyal, the head of the of global warming and climate By ZHANG YI five active partici and 11 years. The other 21 defendants Management of Social Security. hospital in Sog county, said it was change, but seeking a market is the [email protected] pants and 16 other will be sentenced later, the court said. In December 2014, when Chang honored to have Tenshung Drakpa foundation of the plan,” he said. members. When The Communist Party of China sha police started investigating and his team on its staff. The head of a criminal gang from police cracked the Central Committee and the State Wen, he sought help from Zhou, who “We will continue to make Contact the writers at Changsha, Hunan province, was sen organization, they Council released a document in Jan was deputy head of the provincial efforts to help more people benefit palden_nyima@ tenced to life imprisonment and con seized cash and prop uary last year to begin a threeyear public security department at the from traditional Tibetan medi chinadaily.com.cn fiscation of all property on Tuesday erty valued at 1.2 bil campaign against criminal organi time. The two became friends and for 15 crimes, including organizing Wen lion yuan ($178 zations. By the end of last year, 1,082 Zhou gambled regularly in Wen’s and leading a mafiastyle criminal Liehong million), the court gangs had been eliminated and casinos, the CCDI statement said. gang, according to the Changde said. 1,620 guns had been confiscated. In 2015, Zhou ordered the Chang Intermediate People’s Court. They used the ille Between January and November, sha police to suspend the investiga The leader, Wen Liehong, had gally acquired wealth to buy weap China saw a decline of 27.6 percent tion and coordinated with Wen and gradually accumulated huge wealth ons, provide housing and travel to its in gunrelated crimes from the pre the whistleblower. The police subse since 2002, when he set up casinos in members, and support the organiza vious year, according to coordina quently withdrew the case. Zhou major hotels in Changsha. He orga tion’s survival and development. tors of the campaign. was placed under investigation by nized others to participate in gam The organization and its members As gangs and organized crimes are Hunan’s discipline inspection bling and loaned money at usurious committed 84 illegal acts, including often deeply interwoven with corrup authorities in March 2017. rates, the court said in its verdict. intentional injury, illegal detention, tion, the campaign would also target Ran Saiguang, a law professor at From 2005 to 2009, Wen hired fighting and forcing others to trade. local officials who offer protection to National Police University for Crim several people to help him collect Their criminal acts resulted in the the criminals, the document said. inal Justice, said many gangs have debts using violence. In 2010, he set closure of several private companies In October, the Central Commis set up companies to conduct illegal up a pawnshop and loaned money and the suicide of a bank chief, sion for Discipline Inspection gave activities while concealing their true at high interest. The next year, the which seriously damaged economic five examples of typical cases of nature. They typically bribe grass gang grew by recruiting unem and social order, it said. “protective umbrellas” — corrupt roots officials to get protection. ployed people, the verdict said. Wen’s 15 crimes included fraud, officials who shield mafiastyle Only by eliminating the corrupt The criminal organization had a bribery and perjury. The three key criminal gangs. Names included officials who provide shelter for Workers select materials to make medicine at a workshop of the strict structure and clear hierarchy, members of the gang were sentenced Zhou Fubo, former director of the gangsters can the public achieve true Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Group in Nyingchi, Tibet autonomous with one leader, three key members, to prison terms of 25 years, 13 years Hunan office for Comprehensive happiness and security, Ran said. region. WANG YING / XINHUA
By comparing the CSE with the sharing Chinese wisdom in the field clarify the educational objectives of The linking results will be of par English criteria in China IELTS, researchers found that a of language education,” he said. English education in China. It can ticular value to policymakers at edu score corresponding to Level 4 in In 112 pages, the English profi also guide the country’s reforms in cational institutions by helping CSE is equivalent to an overall score ciency standard lays down detailed various English language tests, so them meet curriculum goals. linked to international tests of 4.5 in IELTS and scores of 5 in lis requirements for listening, speak they will be more focused on testing They will also encourage the tening, 4.5 in reading, 5 in speaking ing, reading and writing. It also students’ practical skills in using improvement of teaching methods, By ZOU SHUO of Education is developing an and 4 in writing. A score corre includes practical skills, such as English, rather than skills in taking learning materials and teaching [email protected] English exam that will apply the CSE sponding to Level 8 in CSE is equiva translating, where standards are tests, Yu said. practices in classrooms, he said, standard to college students, said Yu lent to an overall score of 8 under rare worldwide. Barry O’Sullivan, head of assess adding that the results will also China’s Standard of English Lan Han, the authority’s deputy director. the IELTS standards, and scores of The CSE applies to all levels of ment research at the British Coun allow testtakers to have a deeper guage Ability, or CSE, the country’s The authority and the British 8.5 in listening, 7.5 in reading, 7 in English learners from elementary cil, said: “Both IELTS and Aptis are understanding of their English pro first evaluation standard for English Council released the results on Tues speaking and 7.5 in writing. school to university and focuses on communicationbased tests, as they ficiency by referring to the descrip proficiency, has been linked with the day. The linking of IELTS and Aptis to students’ ability in everyday practi focus on all four language skills — tions of language ability in the CSE International English Language The standard, issued by the minis the CSE displays the CSE’s value in cal language, broader communica listening, speaking, reading and that are mapped to their IELTS or Testing System and Aptis, marking try and the State Language Commis practical English learning, Yu said tion skills and understanding of the writing — and assess testtakers’ Aptis test scores. its official entry into the interna sion last year, defines three at a news conference. culture in Englishspeaking places. actual ability to use the English lan The national examination author tional examination system. categories of English language ability “It also contributes to the open The standards aim to unify vari guage, which lays a solid founda ity is also working on linking the The National Education Exami — basic, intermediate and advanced ingup of China’s education, bring ous kinds of English tests in China tion for linking the two tests to the standards with the Test of English as nation Authority under the Ministry — with nine levels altogether. ing its standards to the world and that have different standards and CSE.” a Foreign Language, or TOEFL.