Highlights of Tibet's development in past six decades

March 28 this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Serfs' Emancipation Day in Tibet. On Wednesday, China's State Council Information Office issued a white paper, elaborating on Tibet's Development since the democratic reform took place over half a century ago.

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In 1959, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the cruel serfdom system was abolished and one million Tibetan serfs, representing over 90 percent of the region's then population, were emancipated.

The democratic reform thus ushered in a new era of continuous Development and progress for the residents of Tibet.

As a commentary by Xinhua pointed out, the democratic reform pulled Tibetan serfs and slaves out of their misery, while the founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region and implementation of regional ethnic autonomy endowed local residents equal rights with people living in other parts of the country. Since then, Tibetan people became masters of their own lives.

Currently, there are 35,963 deputies to the people's congresses at all levels in Tibet. Of them, deputies from Tibetan and other minority ethnic groups account for 92.18 percent.

Not only has the autonomous region's political system been democratized, but it has also seen leaps and bounds in its economic, social and cultural fields.

After 60 years of rapid Development, the region's GDP reached 147.76 billion yuan (22 billion U.S. dollars), about 191 times the 1959 figure calculated in comparable prices. Tourism has grown rapidly. In 2018, Tibet received 33.69 million tourist visits, with a total revenue of 49 billion yuan (7.29 billion U.S. dollars).

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway has connected the region to the rest of the country, boosting trade and tourism; the 15-year free and compulsory education has led to a college admission rate of over 75 percent among children of farmers and herdsmen; and traditional Tibetan health care knowledge gained traction after entering the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The changes taking place on the plateau are important beyond measure, but below are the most noticeable ones:

(Infographics by Gao Hongmei)