A young man enjoys a welcome respite from the July heat in a teahouse in Medog county. There are only 10 KTV-style entertainment venues in this area where the Tibetan-style teahouses are popular.

Members of the Tibetan ethnic group take a well-earned moment of rest from the highland barley harvest in Qamdo prefecture in July. Highland barley has been grown on the plateau for centuries, and wine made from the crop is a popular refreshment. People on the plateau live in harmony with the land and the circle of nature.

Tsering Yudron (right), 40, owner of the Lhasa Smile teahouse, and clerk Zomkyi, 25, proudly display their establishment in Medog county, Nyingchi prefecture, in July. They came to the county in southeast Tibet from Lhoka prefecture three years ago to open the teahouse.