Will economic development change lifestyle of Lhasaers?

　　(Source: People's Daily)

　　BEIJING, Aug. 1 -- In highly commercialized cities, it is not just the life of the animation character "Pleasant Goat" that is quietly prevailing, but also the "lazy goat life." Busy city residents dream of lazily drinking tea in the morning, lazily driving to work and lazily watching TV at home in the evening, but these things are a reality for Lhasaers.

　　Photo taken on July 25, 2009 shows a gardener watering flowers in front of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.(Xinhua Photo)

　　However, as Lhasa's economy continues to develop, how long will Lhasaers continue to enjoy their lazy lives?

　　Some people believe that economic development will certainly affect the lifestyle of Lhasaers. Others disagree however, believing that Lhasa is a tourist city with a transfusion-type economy; its economic foundation will not change significantly in the short-term, and therefore lazy living will continue for quite a while.

　　"Elevation is a determining factor. No matter how many railways are constructed and stores set up, Lhasa‘s elevation has determined its ‘lazy' character and economy -a tourism services-oriented economy. The lazy lifestyle will therefore continue for a long time," said He Weiyong, a teacher at the Lhasa Municipal Party Committee's Party School.

　　However Liu Qibing, another teacher at the school, believes that the particular population of the region has its own special values which are quite fixed, and it is these that decide people's attitude towards life.

　　Lhasaers value a lazy lifestyle over a busy life for personal gain. These values have gradually formed over hundreds of years and become a part of daily life, and they will not be washed away by the tide of commerce.