The Great Change in the Snowland Burned in the Name
Lhasa
, May 29, Xinhua
Xinhua News Agency reporters Luo Bu Tsering, Zhang Jingpin, Gesang Langjie, Wang Zehao
Name is the most important social symbol in a person's life.
The name is not just a symbol, it often embodies the good expectations of the elders, carries the charm of the times, and imprints the brand of the times.
In old Tibet under feudal serfdom, surnames were a symbol of privilege, and serfs generally did not have surnames.
After the peaceful liberation and democratic reform of Tibet, the privileges of serf owners were abolished, and millions of serfs were liberated and began to pursue a dignified and happy life. The change of name is the most direct manifestation.
Data from the seventh national census showed that the resident population of the entire Tibet Autonomous Region exceeded 3.64 million, a 2.6-fold increase from the more than 1 million in the early stage of peaceful liberation.
"Jinzhu", "Huo Dangsheng", "Gurong Zhuoma"... These unusual Tibetan names bear witness to the great changes of the times, engraved with touching stories and full of unforgettable memories.
Great Changes Burned in the Name
"My name is Jinzhu, which means 'liberation' in Tibetan. It is not uncommon for people of my age to have 'Jinzhu' in their names, because these two characters have witnessed the rebirth of this land in Tibet. "
The 63-year-old Jinzhu is from Lin'a Village, Bangdui Township, Dazi District, Lhasa City. Recalling the family history told by her parents when they were alive, her eyes became wet.
"In old Tibet, my parents were serfs, and they lived a life of insufficient food and clothing. My two older brothers died in infancy without timely medical treatment when they fell ill."
"It was the Communist Party and the People's Liberation Army who liberated Tibet. Through democratic reform, millions of serfs owned land, livestock and means of production for the first time and became the masters of their own destiny." Jin Zhu said, "My parents named me Jin Zhu, I think it was In order to let me remember the history of Tibet's liberation and the turn of serfs, express my gratitude to the Communist Party."
Under the feudal serf system that combined politics and religion, serf owners, who accounted for less than 5% of the total population of Tibet, owned most of the means of production in Tibet, and even their surnames became the "patent" of the ruling class, a symbol of old Tibet's social and wealth status.
Tsering Phuntsok, director of the Institute of Ethnic Studies at the Academy of Social Sciences of the Tibet Autonomous Region, said that serf owners and eminent monks and living Buddhas put their territories and titles in front of their names to show their noble status, such as "Huokang" and "Lalu"; The names are very casual, and some even use cheap names such as "Jiga (dog egg)" and "Paga (pig shit)" to ward off evil spirits and hope that the children will be well supported.
After the peaceful liberation of Tibet, it has become popular to use names to remember the great changes and express the longing for a better life.
According to Tsering Phuntsok, in addition to "Golden Pearl", in the 1960s and 1970s, "Dama (Red Flag)", "Support Army", "Guardian" and other names with distinctive era colors appeared on the snowy plateau, which is similar to the new China After the establishment, the names full of patriotism, such as "Jianguo" and "Aihua", became popular all over the country.
The earth-shaking changes in Tibetan society have led to the emancipation of the people's minds on the plateau, which has also led to the change of people's names.
For thousands of years, Tibetans have been accustomed to asking living Buddhas or eminent monks to name their children and pray for health and safety.
Many parents who could not afford the name of the living Buddha named their children based on the date of birth and natural things, such as "Dawa (Monday)" and "Cisong (Third School)".
Nowadays, with the continuous progress of society, more and more Tibetan parents no longer go to temples, but choose a desirable name for their children on their own.
In order to avoid duplicate names, some choose uncommon and connotative Chinese characters, such as the name "Gandanyangqi", which avoids the common Chinese characters "gan" and "yang" in Tibetan names.
Tsering Phuntsok also said that in the past, Tibet's medical level was relatively low, infant mortality was high, and the average life expectancy was only 35.5 years old. Many parents like to name their children "Tsering (Longevity)".
Today, the average life expectancy in Tibet has risen to 72.19 years, and there are not as many people named "Tsering" as before.
Surnames that indicate family status have gradually entered the homes of ordinary Tibetans.
For example, the Lhasa citizen Jampa and his wife use Jampa as their surname, and their son and daughter are named Jampa Wangdui and Jampa Quzhen respectively, to show the inheritance of the "Jamba" family.
A story of unity written in the name
In Senburi Village, Gonggar County, Shannan City, 43-year-old Basang waited early to pick up his son from school at the gate of the kindergarten.
"Dangsheng, Dad (father) is here!" Basan called out to his son affectionately.
People often ask Ba Sang and his wife Qu De curiously, "Why did you name your child a Han Chinese?" Every time they are asked, those thrilling images from 5 years ago come to Ba Sang's mind.
Basang's hometown, Shuanghu County, Nagqu City, is the county with the highest altitude in the country, with an average altitude of more than 5,000 meters, and the oxygen content of the air is about 40% of that of the plain.
At the end of August 2017, in Shuanghu County People's Hospital, Qu De suddenly suffered from abdominal pain.
"The doctor said that the child's fetal position is not correct, and the mother and child may be in danger. Let us immediately go to Lhasa for a cesarean section. But here is about 700 kilometers away from Lhasa, and the distance is so far. What if there is a problem on the way?" San was furious at the time.
Coincidentally, the CNPC medical team in Tibet launched a free clinic in Shuanghu.
After hearing the news, they immediately set up an operation team, led by obstetrician and gynecologist Huo Zhiping.
In order to avoid the lack of oxygen affecting the accuracy of the movements, they operated while inhaling oxygen.
The operation took an hour and a half, and the mother and child were safe.
This is the first time that a cesarean section has been performed at an altitude of more than 5,000 meters in my country.
Seeing the newborn child, Ba Sang cried with joy.
In order to express their gratitude, they decided to have the child named Huo Dangsheng after the surname of the chief surgeon, Huo Zhiping.
The next day, Sangji Dolma from Cuozhe Luoma Town, Shuanghu County also underwent cesarean section performed by Dr. Huo Zhiping. The child was named Huo Yousheng to express his gratitude to the CNPC medical team in Tibet.
"Dr. Huo is the savior of our family. We hope that the child will never forget it." Basang said choked up.
Similar to Huo Dangsheng and Huo Yousheng, many families combine Tibetan and Chinese characteristics to name their children, which has become a beautiful talk among plateau names.
Li Jixiang and his wife Baima Yangji from Ankang City, Shaanxi Province named their son Li Xi Gyatso.
"We give our children a name that combines Tibetan and Chinese characteristics. The pronunciation of 'Li Xi' is similar to the Tibetan 'Yixi', which means 'wisdom', and it happens to have the word 'Li'. And 'Gyatso' is a comparison Common Tibetan names have the meaning of 'the sea'." Li Jixiang said that the child's name has both distinctiveness and deep meaning, and the whole family likes it very much.
Memory of the era burned in the name
Gurong Dolma, who is 4 years old this year, got his name to commemorate a relocation that spanned thousands of kilometers and changed the fate of the family.
Gurong Zhuoma's hometown is Jialingjiadong Village, Rongma Township, Nima County, Nagqu City, northern Tibet, 1,197 kilometers away from Lhasa City, with an average altitude of more than 5,000 meters.
Due to the high altitude and harsh climate, Gurong Dolma’s father Rinzin and mother Karma Decuo both suffered from gout, their knuckles and leg joints were severely deformed, and their children died one after another due to the harsh environment.
Letting the next generation live healthily is Rigzin's greatest wish.
The official implementation of Tibet's first high-altitude ecological relocation project has fundamentally changed the lives of Rinzin's family.
On June 18, 2018, Rinzin's family traveled thousands of kilometers and moved to Gurong Town, Duilongdeqing District, Lhasa City, which is 3,800 meters above sea level.
On the second day of free admission to the new Tibetan-style house of 150 square meters, the youngest daughter was born.
"My daughter is so lucky to be born in such a good environment." Kamadecuo repeated in his mouth.
In order to commemorate the migration that changed the fate of the family, and to wish their youngest daughter a safe and healthy life, Rinzin and his wife named the child "Gurong Dolma".
"Gu Rong" is their new home, representing a new beginning.
The meaning of "Drolma" does not mean "fairy" in the traditional sense. Karma Decuo specially explained: "The 'Drolma' in the name means 'following mother', and the full name means 'go, Follow Mom to Gurong'. We want her to remember that your mother gave you life and this move changes your destiny."
This kind of story of remembering major events in the name is not uncommon in the snowy plateau.
In 1960, the mountaineering hero Kampot, who put the five-star red flag on Mount Everest for the first time, named his three granddaughters Everest Yingchao, Everest Yongcuo, and Everest Yuni.
From surnames that only belong to the privilege of nobles, to names that are endowed with good wishes by thousands of households, to stories that condensed the meaning of national unity and remembered by names are widely circulated - the change of Tibetan people's names is like a micro-history, recording the snow The vicissitudes of the region plateau.