Xizang Story: A Tibetan youth's offshore odyssey

LHASA -- Champa uses a portrait of his idol Elon Musk as his WeChat avatar. He said the Tesla CEO is never constrained by traditional mindsets and never stops exploring, which he admires very much.

Such characteristics are evident in Champa himself. The Tibetan has traveled thousands of kilometers from his hometown in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region to the Bohai Sea to work as an offshore oilman.

Thirty years ago, the central government made a major decision to rally national support for Xizang. Under the pairing-up assistance policy, some central state organs, provincial-level regions and centrally-administered state-owned enterprises were designated to assist in specific areas in the region.

As part of efforts to help develop the region, the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has offered jobs to more than 100 young people from Xizang, including Champa.

"The world is so big. I want to explore it myself," Champa said.

A DREAM TAKING ROOT ON PLATEAU

Champa was born in 1995 in the pastoral area of Nyima County with an average altitude of more than 4,800 meters. Unlike many of his peers who were reluctant to leave their grassland homes on the plateau, he was desperate to see the outside world.

His desire originated from a few photos of his father taken in Beijing.

In 2012, his father took Champa's little brother, who had been diagnosed with congenital heart disease, to Beijing for free treatment, thanks to a national scheme to assist locals in Xizang.

"During that trip, my father had several photos taken, where I could see Tian'anmen Square and other scenes outside the plateau," Champa recalled, adding that this sparked a dream of leaving the grassland.

In 2014, he was admitted to the Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, where he saw the sea for the first time.

It was during his time at university that he first got a taste for seafood and other exotic dishes different from the traditional Tibetan food of yak beef and buttered tea.

In 2020, two years into a road construction job in Lhasa he got following graduation, he was recruited by the CNOOC as part of the company's pairing-up assistance efforts.

Wang Sheng, superintendent of the oilfield, said that Champa's previous study and work experience showed that Champa was diligent and adaptable -- important criteria for the job.

"His later performance proved that we made the right choice," Wang said.

SPREAD WINGS AT SEA

As a production operator, Champa is tasked with monitoring the facilities and meters of the crude oil processing and sewage treatment systems. Any negligence may affect production and even lead to oil leakage and, therefore, environmental pollution.

In the beginning, Champa had to learn from scratch, as his major in university -- business administration -- was not directly linked to his job. While working, the Tibetan had to shift between Tibetan, Mandarin and English to communicate with his colleagues and read the English brochures and manuals.

Loneliness and homesickness were also obstacles at that time. When he first arrived at Bohai Shiji (Bohai Century), a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) facility roughly the size of an aircraft carrier in the Bohai Sea, there was no mobile or internet signal coverage.

"After losing contact with my family for three consecutive days, I became so homesick that I said I wanted to go home," Champa recalled. "Luckily, my supervisors were very understanding and gave me some days off to adjust myself."

Later in the same year, the FPSO was equipped with telecommunication signals, and Champa was able to video call his family every day.

During his first year onboard, he spent most of his spare time studying to improve his professional skills and catch up with his colleagues. Now, he prefers reading.

"Now, I'm reading 'Before Dawn in Harvard,' an inspirational book that has been translated into Tibetan," he said, adding that he also works out at the gym onboard.

Qin Yongjun, a colleague of Champa, said Champa was shy when he first arrived, and his Mandarin was patchy. His diligence and sincerity have made him adapt to this job and become a good friend to many.

"Both of us are hot pot fans, so I have brought him hot pot seasonings from my hometown," said Qin, from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province known for its hot pot. "And I have enjoyed the dried yak beef he gifted in return."

ROLE MODEL BACK HOME

Offshore work is rotated on a 28-day basis. During breaks, Champa traveled to many cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi'an and Wuhan.

When he returns home, many people like to talk to him and listen to his stories at sea and in the outside world.

"Inspired by my experience, some people in my community have found rewarding jobs outside the plateau," Champa said.

According to a white paper issued in 2021, more than 10 percent of college students in Xizang take jobs outside the autonomous region every year. The region's government work report showed that over 3,600 fresh college graduates were employed outside Xizang in 2023 alone.

As the eldest of six children in his family, Champa bought a sport utility vehicle for his younger brother back home. Two of his siblings are still in school.

"I hope they can enter university and step out of the plateau and see the world," he said.