Nagqu city, situated at an altitude of 4,500 meters in Xizang autonomous region, was long plagued by tough natural conditions and a weak industrial base. Breaking away from traditional development models, Nagqu is leveraging technology to build deep processing as well as restore the ecological environment, forging a new path that prioritizes ecological conservation and green development in ultra-high-altitude regions.

Nagqu, home to the Qiangtang Grassland, a vast alpine plateau, is among China's five major pastoral areas. It abounds in plateau-specific fauna and vegetation, including yaks, Tibetan sheep and caterpillar fungus. Nevertheless, its local industries remained stuck in the phase of selling raw materials, while the value-added deep processing was done outside the region.

But now, thanks to bio-extraction technologies at high altitudes, low-value by‑products such as yak bones and hides are processed into high-value raw materials for functional food via extraction of collagen and active peptides.

Distinctive livestock breeds, such as the Jiali Niangya yak and the Duoma sheep, are gradually entering the national market, backed by organic certifications and geographical indications.

Currently, Nagqu is home to 22 leading agricultural and pastoral enterprises and 1,616 specialized cooperatives. These cooperatives distribute an average of about 700 million RMB in annual dividends, adding an average of 100,000 RMB to the annual incomes of family ranches and large-scale breeding households.

The per capita disposable income of farmers and herders grew from 15,792 RMB in 2021 to 21,586 RMB in 2025, an average annual growth rate of 8.2 percent.

While intensive processing has resolved industrial bottlenecks, ecological restoration has also delivered remarkable results.

Located in the northwestern Xizang ecological conservation area, 96.64 percent of Nagqu's land area has been designated as a priority ecological protection zone. According to the Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, the region is advancing a model combining governance, scientific research, and public education, transforming abandoned mines into demonstration sites for plateau mine restoration.

Equipped with ecological monitoring stations and science exhibition spaces, restored mining areas are serving as open-air laboratories that can be observed, studied, and replicated.

The comprehensive vegetation coverage of Nagqu's grasslands has increased to 51.72 percent, with a cumulative restored area of 7.11 million mu. Nagqu city, as well as Jiali county and Nyainrong county, have been named national demonstration zones for ecological civilization development.

Nagqu's installed clean energy capacity has reached 1.37 million kilowatts, ushering in a new era of exporting Nagqu's green power. Its highway mileage exceeds 35,900 kilometers, and main power grids cover all counties and districts. Nearly 10,000 communication base stations connect the region to the outside world.

Behind these figures lies the deployment of key technologies, such as photovoltaics, energy storage, and grid integration. The extensive coverage of communication base stations has laid the foundation for the emergence of new business models including remote education, smart animal husbandry, and e-commerce live streaming across Nagqu.

From abandoned mines to scientific research bases, Nagqu is demonstrating that high-altitude regions can embark on an innovative path prioritizing ecological conservation and green development.