Nanjie Ciren has spent more than 40 years protecting the health of his fellow residents in Jiagang, a village in Rutog, a county in Ngari Prefecture, in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. Nanjie Ciren has been the doctor in the village, a highland 4,400 meters above sea level, since 1978. His wife, Basang Laji, has supported his career wholeheartedly. The couple has guided their children to serve their homeland, and to carry on the family's values.
In 2025, Nanjie Ciren's family was named a "Most Beautiful Family" by the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the All-China Women's Federation.
Healer Since Youth
Nanjie Ciren, born in 1964, is the fourth generation of Tibetan medicine practitioners in his family. He was inspired to become a doctor at an early age. When he was 10, he began studying Tibetan medicine under his uncle, and he learned quickly to identify herbs and practice diagnostic techniques. At 14, he began his professional medical training, in Ngari Prefecture, where he mastered medical-treatment skills.
In 1978, Nanjie Ciren became Jiagang's first village doctor. At the time, conditions — lack of adequate roads and medical equipment, and a tiny, 15-square-meter clinic — in the village were harsh. During those days, when villagers fell ill, they could only rely on the doctor to make house calls. Nanjie Ciren often had to make long treks to reach his patients. To tend to patients who lived farther away, he had to travel by horse; in such cases, it was common for the round trip to take two days.
The harsh conditions did not deter Nanjie Ciren; on the contrary, he believed it was his responsibility to protect the villagers' health. Whenever a villager needed him, Nanjie Ciren was always ready to set out with his medical kit. During the past 40 years and more, Nanjie Ciren's rounds have taken him to every grazing area in the Jiagang Village, and beyond, to ensure the health of more than 700 villagers, and more than 3,000 nearby residents.
Always Committed
As Xizang's medical infrastructure improved, the clinic in Jiagang expanded, from 15 square meters, in 1978, to 350 square meters, in 2016, with modern equipment.
Since 2016, Nanjie Ciren has not had to make as many house calls; however, he has been busier than ever. Why? In 2020, Nanjie Ciren was invited to treat patients at a Tibetan hospital in Rutog County. Since then, he has worked weekdays at the hospital, and weekends at the village's clinic. Although his work conditions have changed, Nanjie Ciren's compassionate heart has not changed.
In August 2025, several out-of-town university students arrived at the village's clinic. They were suffering from severe altitude sickness. Nanjie Ciren quickly diagnosed them. He prescribed the students medicine, and he even shared biscuits and candy with them. The medical bill, combined, was less than 10 yuan (US $1.43). The students were grateful, and together they wrote a thank-you note to Nanjie Ciren. "You cure patients and guard this land with great skill and kindness. The clinic is a beautiful sight on the snowy plateau!"
Although he has passed the retirement age, Nanjie Ciren has continued to diligently study Tibetan medicine. He hopes to pass on his knowledge and experience to more young practitioners. Last year marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of Xizang Autonomous Region. Throughout those decades, Nanjie Ciren has witnessed the tremendous changes that have taken place in the region's healthcare sector. "These changes are not just hardware upgrades, but a leap in our ability to protect people's lives. They reflect the CPC and the country's care for people living in border areas," he says.
United Couple
Nanjie Ciren's wife, Basang Laji, has been the strongest pillar in his life. They met, through medicine, in the summer of 1982. He rode a horse for more than 100 kilometers to Basang Laji's home to treat her parents, both of whom were suffering with the flu. Impressed by his dedication and kindness, Basang Laji fell for Nanjie Ciren. They got married in 1983.
Since then, Basang Laji has taken good care of the extended family. She has tended to their children, and parents, whenever he has been away from home treating patients. She always packs his food and tea, and she always carefully checks his doctor's bag. She takes hot meals to him when he is busy at the clinic, and she often helps him care for his patients.
"Healing herbs are for everyone, and true healing connects people's hearts." For more than 40 years, that simple family motto has guided the couple as they have supported each other.
Basang Laji believes Nanjie Ciren's work — saving lives — is a noble cause, and a cause that has made the family's hardships worthwhile. For more than 40 years, Basang Laji's tenderness and strength have held the family together. "For years, the clinic had only me; without her help, I couldn't have lasted," Nanjie Ciren says. With those few, simple words, Nanjie Ciren warmly expresses his gratitude and love for his wife.
Legacy Passed Down
Nanjie Ciren instilled in his children the family's values — "patriotism and unity, benevolence to heal, and virtue and kindness" — through his words and deeds. All three of his children have chosen to stay on the plateau, but they have been serving their homeland in different ways.
Gesang Pingcuo, the eldest child, inherited his father's talent for Tibetan medicine. Gesang Pingcuo began studying Tibetan medicine when he was 14. He often helped his classmates and neighbors when they were under the weather. Although he now runs a teahouse, in Rutog County, he always has homemade remedies on hand, in case he has to assist people in need. Gesang Ciren, the youngest son, is a chef. He supports his extended family by preparing delicious meals.
Dawa Lamu, the daughter, is a kindergarten teacher. In 2013, she volunteered to teach at a kindergarten in Dingze, a remote village in Rutog County. Recalling the hardships her father once faced gave her the strength to withstand the harsh conditions, and to continue teaching the children until 2015.
Basang Laji helped look after Dawa Lamu's child while she was working in Dingze, so Dawa Lamu could focus solely on teaching. Dawa Lamu's brothers, and their wives, took turns caring for Nanjie Ciren. Dawa Lamu now teaches at a kindergarten in Rutog County. She is devoted to protecting the children's growth, just as her father is devoted to protecting the villagers' health.
Although their careers differ, all three of Nanjie Ciren's children have inherited his dedication — taking root on the plateau, serving their hometown and ensuring the family's values shine brighter in the new era.
Nanjie Ciren's family was named a "Most Beautiful Family" in 2025. This ordinary family, on the snowy plateau, has deepened its love for the homeland, and has carried forward traditional virtues. Through their words and example, the family's motto — "Healing herbs are for everyone, and true healing connects people's hearts" — has taken hold. Also, the family's values of "patriotism and unity, benevolence to heal, and virtue and kindness" have been passed from one generation to the next.
Photos from Interviewees and Gesang Zhuduo
(Women of China English Monthly May 2026)
Editor: Wang Shasha
