Three decades ago, vegetables were virtually unobtainable in Tibet at any price. But today, fresh vegetables, and even fresh flowers, are available all year round even in the depths of winter. These changes reflect the transformation of the lifestyle of ordinary Tibetan people over the past 30 years.

Bhuchung, deputy head of the cooperative, noted that there are plans to expand the base and introduce large-scale cultivation. "We are trying to boost the development of agriculture in Tibet," Bhuchung said, "and, of course, providing people with fresh vegetables to eat and flowers to decorate their homes."

Vegetables flourish in an environmental-friendly greenhouse.