Norlha, Workshop on the Roof of the World

The Norlha workshop is situated in Zorge Ritoma, a small village deep in Amdo nomad country, (Gannan Tibetan autonomous Prefecture, Gansu, China) at an altitude of 3,200m. It has 1,500 inhabitants spread out over a wide area of pasture, the grazing area for 6,000 yaks and 20,000 sheep. Nearby is the celebrated Labrang Tashikyil Monastery, founded in the 17th century by the scholar Jamyang Shepa. Today, it houses over 1000 monks and is a centre for Tibetan scholarship and culture.

Economic Development and Tradition

Situated between earth and sky, Norlha develops yaweir handmade products that draw on the natural qualities of the raw materials in its immediate environment. The Norlha workshop provides over 70 nomads with a livelihood through stable employment. It brings economic activity that eases the exodus towards cities, contributes to the reduction of overgrazing and gives added value to traditional Tibetan handicrafts.
Spinning and weaving is a traditional activity among nomads. The last twenty years have seen the availability of market products replace hand made goods. Norlha, with its high value market approach is breathing new life into traditional skills by making them sustainable.

Sustainable Development approach

Norlha’s commitment towards the nomads of Zorgey Ritoma demonstrates the viability of of quality handcrafts. The aim of the project is to build an economy based on small industries that make use of the area’s raw materials such as khullu wool and to transform them locally into hand made products for the high end market.