Surmang — The Region

Stretching into the clouds at more than 4,000 meters, Surmang is a magical place. It is a land of lush-green landscapes and snow-capped mountains; it is a land of intense spirituality and an ancient culture; it is a land of personal warmth and simple kindness. It is also, unfortunately, a land of crushing poverty and medieval living standards.

High in the mountains of Qinghai, China, Surmang is one of the most remote places on Earth; it is an arduous five-day train, bus, and jeep excursion from Beijing. Snowed-in for the better part of the year, the region is little touched by modern development or outside influences.

The deeply spiritual people of Surmang lead lives that are remarkably similar to their ancestors before them. As it has for generations, Buddhism and the Monastery remain the central pillars of community life. With no running water, electricity, or roads, Surmang relies almost entirely on subsistence farming and nomadic yak herding. In the summer months, many take to the valleys in a back-breaking hunt for a rare worm that is valued in traditional Chinese medicine.

As one of the poorest places in all of China, with average annual incomes of less than $50, Surmang provides a window into the tough realities of rural Tibet and China. Both healthcare facilities and schools are woefully inadequate and agonizingly far away. As a result, many people simply cannot go to either. Nearly 1 out of 5 children die before their second birthday and nearly 100% of those that do survive are illiterate.

The Foundation's mission is Surmang's economic, cultural and social renaissance and revitalization. Our hope is to alleviate poverty by promoting health, building the capacity of the communities of this region and bringing them back from the edge of cultural and economic dispossession.