Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

This year marks the 60th founding anniversary of Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. Chinese President Xi Jinping, who leads a central delegation, arrived in Lhasa, capital of Xizang Autonomous Region, on Wednesday to attend activities in celebration of the region's 60th founding anniversary.

Over the past six decades, Xizang has made a historic leap from darkness to light, from poverty to prosperity, and from isolation to openness. Behind this profound transformation lies the successful implementation of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) policies on the governance of Xizang, and the remarkable achievements of a development path tailored to Xizang's unique realities. This journey underscores the CPC's successful experience in leading the people to govern, stabilize, and invigorate Xizang. 

The economic development has provided a solid material foundation for the well-being of the people of Xizang. In the first half of 2025, the region's GDP rose 7.2 percent year-on-year to 138.27 billion yuan ($19.27 billion). Even more remarkable is the historic leap achieved in 2024, when Xizang's GDP reached 276.5 billion yuan, 155 times that of 1965 in constant prices. This year, the GDP is expected to exceed 300 billion yuan. These figures illustrate the rapid economic development of Xizang.

Improving people's livelihoods is the warmest backdrop to Xizang's development. Education is the foundation of well-being. In Xizang, awe-inspiring natural landscapes like majestic snow-capped mountains, vast grasslands and deep canyons have long hindered children's access to schooling. For this reason, boarding schools have become the optimal solution. Over the past sixty years, education in Xizang has undergone a historic transformation — from having no schools to attend to enjoying access to quality education.

This photo taken on Aug. 19, 2025 shows a street view in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. The streets of Lhasa are adorned with lanterns and decorations in celebration of the 60th founding anniversary of Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Tenzin Nyida)

Ecological protection is the fundamental logic underpinning the sustainable development of Xizang. President Xi profoundly stated, "When ecology prospers, civilization prospers; when ecology decays, civilization decays," emphasizing that "protecting the ecology of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the greatest contribution to the survival and development of the Chinese nation."

In Xizang, the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" has deeply resonated with the people. In recent years, Xizang has implemented the Lhasa North-South Mountain Greening Project, increasing the forest coverage rate to 12.31 percent. Additionally, over 440,000 ecological positions have been established, enabling the local population to earn a living through ecological construction and embark on a path to prosperity.

Ethnic unity is the driving force behind Xizang's development. President Xi emphasized that work related to Xizang must focus on safeguarding national unity and strengthening ethnic solidarity. In line with the direction set by Xi, Galai village of Nyingchi City has made a lot of progress in recent years in developing rural tourism, strengthening the collective economy, and promoting ethnic unity. Gala village, meaning "the place where peach blossoms bloom," has become a model of harmonious coexistence among different ethnic groups. Here, ethnic interactions, exchanges, and integration are like the petals of peach blossoms: each unique, yet all united in heart, with the flower of ethnic unity blooming ever more vibrantly in this beautiful village.

From economic leaps to educational progress, from ecological protection to ethnic unity, the snowy plateau has delivered a substantial and impressive development report. This once remote land is now radiating unprecedented vitality, becoming a vivid example of China's high-quality development and the advancement of ethnic unity. 

Xizang's development journey profoundly demonstrates that the CPC's policies on the governance of Xizang in the new era align with the requirements of the times, meet the fundamental aspirations of all ethnic groups in Xizang, and correspond to the practical needs of social development in the region. This ancient and mystical land is striving to write a magnificent chapter of a united, prosperous, civilized, harmonious, and beautiful socialist modernized Xizang.