On August 19, China held a grand gathering to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet. The event was held in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core since the 18th CPC National Congress, the cause of governing Tibet, stabilizing Tibet, and rejuvenating Tibet has made all-round progress and historic achievements. Tibet has eradicated absolute poverty. The overall social situation is more stable, the economy and culture are more prosperous, the ecological environment is better, and the people’s lives are happier.

“Since 2018, Tibet has vigorously implemented a rural vitalization strategy with the theme of ‘guardians of the sacred land and builders of happy homes,’ which has greatly improved the lives of people in border areas,” said Wang Chunhuan, vice president of the Academy of Social Sciences of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Zhuoga, former head of the Yumai Township government in Longzi County in Shannan, Tibet Autonomous Region, was awarded the July 1 Medal this year as an outstanding CPC member.

Sitting at the southern foot of the Himalayas, Yumai is China’s smallest town in terms of population. Before 1996, the only residents in the township were Zhuoga and her two family members. They have been guardians of the country’s border area for half a century. Nowadays, inspired by their patriotic deeds, more and more people have moved into Yumai Township.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with an average elevation of more than 4,000 meters, is hailed as the “third pole” and the “water tower of China.” Tibet is a key eco-safety barrier in China.

Hao Shiyuan, a Member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that ecological construction is the top priority of Tibet’s development. It is not only the basis for the development of various undertakings in Tibet, but also has a profound impact on the ecological environment of other regions of China and neighboring countries.

Wu Xiaomin, a research fellow at the Northwest Institute of Endangered Zoological Species, has long been concerned about ecological protection in Tibet.

He said that since the 18th CPC National Congress, Tibet has accelerated the implementation of the ecological security barrier protection and construction plan, and issued the Regulations on Developing Ecological Highlands in Tibet Autonomous Region to promote the transformation of ecological construction from focusing on protection to proactive measures. So far, more than 12.1 billion yuan has been invested.

Tibet currently has eleven national nature reserves, three national geological parks, nine national forest parks, and twenty-two national wetland parks. The nature reserves cover a total area of 412,200 square kilometers, accounting for more than one third of the region’s territory. The water quality of major rivers and lakes all meets or exceeds the standards for Class III waters; 99.4% of the days in 2020 saw good air quality.

In recent years, based on ecological protection, Tibet has listed seven major industries: tourism culture, plateau biology, green industry, clean energy, modern services, high-tech digital, and border trade logistics. The improvement of infrastructure construction and blossoming tourism have become the two main driving forces supporting Tibet’s rapid development. In addition, the digital industry has become an important engine to promote the region’s high-quality economic development.