Traditional watermill handwork in Tibet has changed its role to a representative of Tibetan intangible cultural heritage from a technique which makes profits only.

Locating in a folk-custom park in northern suburb of Lhasa, Gyami Watermill has been existed for over 400 years, and has been refreshing after being listed as nonmaterial cultural heritage at national level.

The fresh scent of highland barley greeted us when entering the Gyami Watermill. The flowing water outdoor is turning the millstone, which makes the smooth snow-white zanba flour.

With abundant water power resources, Nyangrain Township, where the Gyami Watermill locates, serves as Lhasa’s key place of processing zanba, or roasted highland barley flour. There used to be more than 20 similar watermills in the heyday, among which Gyami is the most famous one.

As a family-run workshop, Gyami was once the designated watermill to supply zanba flour for the Dalai Lamas, and was awarded two religious sticks which show its special identity by the local Tibetan authority at that time.

Photo shows the traditional millstone in Gyami Watermill. [Photo/ China Tibet Online]

Simple as it is, the watermill handwork technique may be a great creation, which comprehensively applies knowledges of hydraulics, woodworking, geology and even nutriology. The choosing stones is the most refined step, which should take its producing area, size and mineral substances into consideration since all factors will decide the quality of zanba flour.

The production techniques of Gyami Watermill contain two parts: the production techniques of watermill and the processing of zanba flour. The former includes site selection, channel building, house building and maintenance and usage of the millstone operation system and other related links while the latter contains all flows of processing zanba flour such as the sorting and stir-frying.

In recent years, the popularization of electric grinders strongly impacts this traditional Tibetan technique of processing grain, leading it to the verge of distinction. To protect the technique, China inscribed it onto the first batch of national nonmaterial cultural heritage list in 2006.

Moreover, behaviors which will hinder the preservation work such as quarrying are forbidden together with the implement of a 10-year development plan.

Now Gyami Watermill has served as a scenic spot rather than a practical mill. “We are not aiming to make profits but to protect and carry forward the traditional skill,” said Dorje, who contributes a lot for the nomination.

Photo shows that the fall of water providing motive power for the millstone in Gyami Watermill. [Photo/ China Tibet Online]

Gyami Watermill has become part of the folk-custom park. [Photo/ China Tibet Online]  

Photo shows the selected millstone in Gyami Watermill. [Photo/ China Tibet Online]