Sonam Tashi (C) chats with family members in Chubzang village of Doilungdeqen District in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, March 20, 2025.
Sonam Tashi, a 92-year-old residing in Chubzang Village of Doilungdeqen District, Lhasa, bears witness to the 1959 democratic reform and the transformative liberation of millions of serfs in Xizang.
Under the feudal serfdom that once enslaved old Xizang, all land and resources were possessed by the serf owners who subjected the serfs to hereditary bondage devoid of basic humanity. "While we toiled in fields, every grain went to the serf owners," recalled Sonam Tashi. "Any perceived lapse in work would see us beaten with iron rods or horsewhips." The bitter cold nights were also hard to bear. "Back then, I had only a tattered quilt to keep warm during the night. Having any shelter from the wind and rain would count as being lucky. Many people had no shelter at all. They had to endure the harsh conditions."
After Xizang's democratic reform, Sonam Tashi, as one of the many liberated serfs, was granted land and livestock by the government to start a new life. From 1959 to 1998, Sonam Tashi served as Party chief of Chubzang Village and later the township head. He traveled to villages and towns to disseminate the Party's major policies and pro-people initiatives. In 1974, he joined an agricultural delegation from the Xizang Autonomous Region on an observation tour. He cherishes the group photo taken with delegation members in Beijing.
"Life today is truly idyllic!" smiled Sonam Tashi, clinking beer steins with neighbors. "We now enjoy abundant food and clothing, and we are freed from the backbreaking toil that once shackled us like beasts of burden. Such blessings were unimaginable in the old days." Now benefiting from social welfare programs including the pension and medical insurance, Sonam Tashi lives in comfort surrounded by his children and grandchildren. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)
Sonam Tashi poses for a portrait in Chubzang village of Doilungdeqen District in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, March 20, 2025.(Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)
Sonam Tashi (L) enjoys food with a family member in Chubzang village of Doilungdeqen District in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, March 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)
Sonam Tashi (2nd L) shares his story with family members in Chubzang village of Doilungdeqen District in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, March 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Tenzin Nyida)
Sonam Tashi looks at a commemorative medal awarded to him after 50 years of Communist Party of China membership in Chubzang village of Doilungdeqen District in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, March 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)
Sonam Tashi (C) sits with his family members in Chubzang village of Doilungdeqen District in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, March 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Tenzin Nyida)
