Gyaltsen Yeshe, 23, who grew up in an impoverished family in the Tibet Autonomous Region, has become one of the first women helicopter pilots in Tibet.

As a pilot, her main duty is to take tourists to explore the scenery of the autonomous region. In her helicopter, travelers are able to have a panoramic view of the lakes of Namtso and Yardrok Yutso, Tibet's landmark Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Drepung Monastery.

In addition to tourists, her helicopter has also received some "special guests." Two years ago, when she landed on the shore of Yardrok Yutso Lake, she saw two herders, who came over to look at her helicopter. "Is this a real helicopter?" they asked in surprise. After gaining approval from her superior, Yeshe offered them a free ride.

Yeshe flew the two herders over the lake for a long while. Seeing the smiles on their faces, she couldn't help feeling excited. From that day on, Yeshe decided to make efforts to give more villagers access to modern things.

Yeshe recalled that when she was young, her family grazed livestock in a pastoral area. With no extra income, but with so many brothers and sisters to feed, the family was hard up and she always wore old clothes.

Her family later heard about an opportunity for local people to become pilots, as part of a targeted local poverty-alleviation scheme. Yeshe was encouraged to sign up for the recruitment examination since she had been interested in machines since she was a child.

At the end of 2016, she got the chance to go to Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, for training. She said to herself: "Since I have been chosen, I would work hard to achieve something before I come back."

Her hard work paid off. Yeshe became the first to graduate among the girls.

"She was self-motivated. When encountering a problem, she would seek advice and try her best to fix it," her coach Long Haixiao commented.

Yeshe's life has been improved, and she often uses her salary to buy something for her brother and other family members.

"I am very grateful for this opportunity to lead a better life. I have to improve myself and live up to the expectations of the people who care about me," she said.

(Source: chinanews.com/Translated and edited by Women of China)