People from all walks of life in the Xizang autonomous region gathered on Saturday to celebrate the 18th Serfs' Emancipation Day.

Saturday marked the 67th anniversary of a democratic reform that abolished feudal serfdom in Xizang.

On March 28, 1959, Xizang launched the democratic reform, freeing about 1 million serfs. In 2009, the regional legislature announced that the day would henceforth be commemorated as Serfs' Emancipation Day.

A number of art and culture events were held in recent days to mark the occasion. A flag-raising ceremony was held at Potala Palace Square in Lhasa, the region's capital, on Saturday morning.

Over the past six decades, Xizang has witnessed spectacular development under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

In a televised speech on Friday night, Karma Tsetan, chairman of the regional government, said that 67 years ago, a great democratic reform swept across the region with irresistible momentum, completely putting an end to the dark, cruel, barbaric and backward theocratic feudal serfdom.

"Today, people in Xizang enjoy all human rights in a full, effective and genuine way, which stands in stark contrast to the miserable situation of serfs in the old days, when they lived in constant fear and had no dignity at all," Karma Tsetan said.

By the end of 2024, Xizang, with a population of 3.7 million, was also the "youngest" provincial-level region in China, latest official statistics showed. Those under 14 years old accounted for 23.8 percent of the total population.

Before 1959, the average life expectancy in the region was only 35.5 years, and four out of every 10 serf children did not survive childhood, Karma Tsetan said.

He added that currently, the average life expectancy in Xizang is 72.5 years.

Since the democratic reform, people have lived dignified, decent and happy lives. All children now enjoy schooling and grow up healthy, young people devote themselves to building their hometown and pursuing their dreams, and the elderly spend their years in peace and comfort.

Tsewang, a 71-year-old man from Lhasa, said that although he did not experience the sufferings of old Xizang, he heard his elders talk about the tragic plight of ordinary people in the past. "People's living standards in Xizang have been continuously improving since the democratic reform, and the happy life today is hard-won."

Kelsang Rabten, a resident of the city of Shigatse, said that he and his relatives were serfs in the old days and suffered a miserable life.

"Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, now we enjoy improved livelihood, people no longer have to worry about food and clothes, and all the children have the right to receive education," he said.

"Thanks to the government, I had the opportunity to become a teacher."

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palden_nyima@chinadaily.com.cn