People in Tibet celebrate Serfs' Emancipation Day

People from all walks of life lined up to attend a flag-raising ceremony in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet autonomous region, on Monday morning to mark the 57th anniversary of the abolition of serfdom in Tibet.

While the ceremony was under way, residents enjoyed themselves with Tibetan songs and dances in Lhasa's Dzongyab Lukhang Park.

The annual Serfs' Emancipation Day is held on March 28 to commemorate the 1959 democratic reform in Tibet, which ended feudal serfdom and freed about one million Tibetan serfs.

"I was told by my parents that they had a miserable life in the old days and thanks to the leadership of the Communist Party of China, our livelihood has further improved," said Losang, a 65-year-old resident of Lhasa.

An elderly man from Tibet's Nyingchi prefecture said he couldn't agree more.

"There are airplanes in the sky, cars and trains on the ground, villages accessed with proper roads, it is so convenient today, and with medical insurance, most of our medical bills are covered," he said.

Pema Wangdron, a primary school student in Lhasa, said she had heard brutal stories of the old Tibet from her grandpa.

"My grandpa was in the army in the old days. He said he saw many corpses of serfs in the past, and the corpses of serf's children in the well," said the 10-year-old, adding that she believes the region will become much more prosperous under the leadership of President Xi Jinping.

"Fifty-seven years ago, Tibet ended the history of feudal serfdom and returned freedom to the people of Tibet, and a new era was opened for them," said Qi Zhala, Party chief of Lhasa.

"The dark old Tibet was buried by history, and the beautiful blueprint of the socialist new Tibet is in full swing."