During the past 50 years, Tibet has achieved rapid developments in many aspects such as economy, society, technology, transportation, culture, education and so on. 

The ancient city Lhasa, which has a history of more than one thousand years, is standing on the snowy plateau with a brand-new look.

Tibethas five airports at present, one in Lhasa, and another four in Shigatze, Chamdo, Nyingchi and Ngari, which operate 58 flights to other Chinese cities, and also to Kathmandu, capital of Nepal. 

In the past 50 years, Tibet's airports had 206,000 takeoffs and landings, and a total of 24.71 million passengers and 330,000 tons of cargo have been transported via the region.

Tibet: Lhasa develops dramatically during the past 50 years

Tibet Autonomous Region was established in 1965, at that time the Lhasa city covers an area of only 3 square kilometers with just a total of 6 roads. After 50 years’construction, Lhasa develops dramatically and urban built-up area reaches 70.29 square kilometers. The overall length of urban roads increases from several kilometers to 241 kilometers. Today, one of 23 people in Tibet owns one car, which is higher than the national average.

Lhasa is aadministrative capital city of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of Tibetan Buddhism as well as the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau after Xining in Qinghai Province. It is also one of the highest cities in the world with an altitude of 3,490 metres (11,450 ft). 

The city has been the religious and administrative capital of Tibet since the mid-17th century. It contains many culturally significant Tibetan Buddhist sites such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Norbulingka Palace. Besides, it is also one of the first 24 famous historic and cultural cities throughout the country published by the State Council.

Beautiful new Tibet: Multi-level transportation gradually formed

There is no road in old Tibet. However, after 50 years’ construction, southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region has a highway mileage of 75,000 kilometers, which has gradually formed a Lhasa-centered highway transport network. 

In 2006, Qinghai Tibet railway was opened to traffic, which marks a complete end of Tibet’s no railway history. Later on, railway is extended to the hinterland of Tibet. Above the railways and highways, Tibet Civil Aviation has guaranteed 206,000 times of safe takeoffs and landings, 

accomplished 24.7164 million’s passenger throughput and 329,900 tons’ cargo throughput in the past 50 years. As a result of the formation of Tibet multi-level transportation, the roof of the world is more connected to the world and more open to guests from all over the world. 

It is true of Tibetan transportation in the past that “Rubble and rocks stand in the way where no people nor horses can pass through”. While, in the past 50 years, China has been continuously reinforcing transportation construction in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Regionand the situation of “entering into Tibet with extreme difficulties” in the old days has become history. 

Nowadays, when you leaf through China’s traffic map, you will find that modern transport system is formed by railways, highways, airplanes and other multiple transportation means. At the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of Tibet Autonomous Region, 8 landmarks of Tibetan transportation industry are selected to record the great changes of Tibetan transportation.

Documentary on promoting national unity and progress in Tibet

More than 3 million people of all ethnic groups in Tibet work hard together and contribute to today’s glory and brilliance, development and prosperity on the Snow-covered Plateau. 

At the grand ceremony of the 50th anniversary of the founding of Tibet 

Autonomous Region, the central delegation brought the greeting tablet inscribed by General Secretary Xi Jinping to Tibet, which says “strengthen national unity and construct beautiful Tibet”. These 12 strong Chinese characters, spreading through snow mountains and grasslands, cities andvillages, are both a blessing and an expectation. 

National unity is the cornerstone of Tibetan economic development and social stability, the lifeline of more than 3 millionpeople of all ethnic groups on the Snow-coveredPlateau as well. 

Bathed in the ethnic policies of Communist Party of China, people of all ethnic groups in Tibet value the happiness life they have, safeguard the reunification of the country, deduce the touching stories of national unity andgathering the mighty power and strength of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Lhasa’s 50 years of winter heating changes

For a long time, the people in high altitude areas of Tibet have winter heating problems. The main traditional heating in Tibet are electric heating, firing coal or cattle and sheep manure. 

As a major people-benefit project, pilot project of heating in Lhasa city 

officially came into operation on April 28, 2012. At present, pilot project of heating in Lhasa has built 63 kilometers’ main gas pipeline network, 

256 kilometers’ inferior gas pipeline network and 1,200 kilometers’ courtyard heating pipe network. 

The number of heating households has reached 105,200, and the heating area has reached 21.36 million square meters. With a 98% heating rate, it almost has realized a full coverage of the whole city. 

Tibet: great leap forward on modern education

During the past 50 years, the education of Tibet has been developing continuously. Today, it has formed a relatively completeeducation system, which covers the infant education, elementaryeducation, vocational education, higher education even adult education and special education.Thus, modern education has achieved a historic leap from single to comprehensive, single to comprehensive and lower to higher levels.

With the support of national preferential policies, in 2012, southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region realized 15 years’ free educationfrom preschool education to senior high school education(including the secondary vocational school education).

According to the data statistics of Tibet Autonomous Region’s Department of Education, by the end of 2014, primary-school enrollment rate in Tibet has achieved 99.64 percents, junior high school enrollment rate has achieved 98.91 percents, high school enrollment rate has achieved 73.37 percentsand higher education enrollment rate has achieved 27.76 percents. 

The number of all or different levels of students at school is 608,506. The accumulative number of people who have cast off illiteracy has reached 1.815 million, illiteracy rate of young people has dropped to 0.57 percentsand the average education attainment in Tibet has reached 8.6 years.