Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region has seen remarkable economic growth, 67 years after the democratic reform that ended feudal serfdom in the region.

Saturday marks the 67th anniversary of Xizang's democratic reform, with grand celebrations and commemorative activities held across the region.

On March 28, 1959, people in Xizang launched the democratic reform, freeing one million serfs. In 2009, the regional legislature designated March 28 to commemorate the emancipation.

A flag-raising ceremony was held on Saturday morning to celebrate the Serfs' Emancipation Day at the square in front of the Potala Palace in Xizang's capital, Lhasa, a landmark and symbol of the region built in the 7th century.

A public cultural performance was also held in Lhasa on the same day, bringing together people from all walks of life to reflect on the past and celebrate the achievements with a rich variety of traditional Tibetan art forms.

Over the past 67 years, Xizang has made remarkable achievements across various sectors. In 2025, the per capita disposable income of residents reached 33,600 yuan (about 4,861 U.S. dollars), up 7.2 percent over the previous year.

The region has been vigorously developing characteristic industries on the plateau, with the output of meat, eggs, milk and vegetables all exceeding one million tons.

The clean energy industry is also being actively advanced in the region, with environmentally friendly electricity generated in Xizang delivered to 19 provincial-level regions across China by the end of 2025.

Galai Village in Nyingchi City is an epitome of Xizang's economic development based on local conditions. Renowned for its stunning peach blossom gardens, the village has made continuous efforts to promote rural tourism, raising its collective income to over 8.6 million yuan (about 1.24 million U.S. dollars) last year.

"Last year, each household in our village received around 80,000 to 90,000 yuan (about 11,570 to 13,030 U.S. dollars) in cultural tourism income. In the future, we hope that the popularity of our Galai Village will keep rising and that more tourists from other places will come to enjoy the beautiful scenery," said local resident Phuchak.

The regional government has formulated a development plan for the coming years, focusing on nine major industries including plateau characteristic agriculture and animal husbandry, cultural tourism and modern services.

A total of 200 beautiful and harmonious villages are being planned across the region to provide better living and working conditions, aiming to further enhance people's sense of gain, happiness and security, according to the development plan.