PHOTOGRAPHER: Fritz Hoffmann
ASSIGNMENT: China portfolio
LOCATION: Maqu, China
DATE: August 14, 2006

Young Tibetan nomads arrive at the Sahe Nomads New Village to attend the Maqu Horse Festival. The government aim of the new village is to relocate the nomads who live in the grassland that is within the â??herding prohibited zoneâ? designated by the Maqu County government, which is part of the central government policy of â??stop herding and return the grassland to natureâ?. The project is supposed to â??protect the water source of the Yellow River and ecological barrier of the area, prevent water and soil erosionâ?, the new village covers an area of 2017mu (134.5 hector), and by July 2005 has relocated 437 households, 2.622 people. The total investment is 43.553 million yuan ($5.444 million). Each relocated nomad family gets 30,000yuan ($3,750) compensation in cash and a piece of land to build new house. The local government will also help them to find new non-herding jobs or become farmers, according to the Maqu County Reform, Development, Economic and Trading Commission.