Tibetan heights of Prosperity

　　Since the democratic reform 60 years ago, development of farming and animal husbandry in Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region has made big strides, with historic improvement in people's livelihood.

　　Before the reform in 1959, old Tibet was ruled under feudal serfdom, in which the serf-owners, who accounted for only five percent of Tibet's population, occupied all means of production, while the serfs and slaves did not have personal freedom and were traded, according to a statement sent to the Global Times by the publicity department of Tibet's regional committee of the Communist Party of China on March 14.

　　Documents show that the family of the 14th Dalai Lama owned 27 manors, 30 pastures, and over 6,000 serfs.

　　In 1959, feudal serfdom was brought to an end in Tibet.

　　On March 28, 1959, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to dismiss the Tibet local government and undertake democratic reform.

　　The reform liberated a million serfs and slaves and brought basic human rights and freedom to them for the first time in history.

　　Nowadays, the per capita disposable income of farmers and herdsmen in Tibet has reached 11,450 yuan ($1,706).

　　The grain yield is around 1.05 million tons, which is 5.7 times that 60 years ago.

　　In 2013, the country decided to undertake sustainable development in Tibet.

　　President Xi Jinping in 2015 underlined the importance of preserving Tibet's ecology again.