As the days grow colder, Pasang has made preparations for the winter by purchasing a generous amount of natural gas to warm his home.

"In the past, we burned cattle dung for heating. The rooms would be covered with dust, and the sky would sometimes get gray," said Pasang, a resident of Lhasa, capital of southwest China"s Tibet Autonomous Region. He just bought 1,000 yuan (about $157) of natural gas.

His home was connected by natural gas pipelines seven years ago. "With the gas, my home is warmer, and we are also contributing to bluer skies," he said.

Now, the signature azure skies dotted with white clouds not only give local people a breath of fresh air but are also a vital part of the region"s magnetism for visitors from home and abroad.

In the first 10 months of 2021, the air quality of Lhasa ranked second among 168 major Chinese cities. The city has been among the top-10 for several consecutive years, said the country"s Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

The wide use of natural gas is one of the keys behind the clean air in Tibet. In Lhasa"s case, natural gas has been adopted for heating in more than 90 percent of its urban area, said a local company in charge of natural gas supplies.

Amid the country"s boom of new energy vehicles (NEVs), Tibet is also popularizing NEVs while phasing out older cars with high pollution and energy consumption.

Early this year, the capital city added 76 new-energy buses to its fleet, and all intracity routes have made use of the clean vehicles.

Electric cars are also gaining popularity for their eco-friendly features and lower costs. Penpa, another resident in Lhasa, said he and many of his friends have replaced their traditional vehicles with electric ones.