BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Historic progress made in China's Xizang over the years has once again come under the spotlight at the ongoing "two sessions" in Beijing.

At a panel discussion, national lawmakers from the southwestern autonomous region shared with journalists from home and abroad their insights into the region's tangible progress in such areas as education, health care and cultural preservation.

Chidul, from a village in Xizang's Baqen County, who is a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, highlighted three facts from the past year: Her son, a middle school student, greatly benefited from increased government subsidies to education in the region; her family made more money as local per capita disposable income for rural residents increased by 8 percent; and a new hospital in the county seat has facilitated medical care for her and many others.

Chidul's prosperous life would be inconceivable if she lived in old Xizang, when education was a privilege only for a few under the feudal serfdom system.

Today, education is a fundamental right accessible to all. The completion rate for compulsory education in the region exceeds 97 percent. Meanwhile, higher education institutions cultivate doctors, engineers, teachers and other talent who are instrumental in the region's development.

Xizang's progress is inseparable from the consistent support provided by the central government as well as the assistance from the rest of the country through funds, industries and talent, among others.

The new hospital in Chidul's hometown embodies Xizang's remarkable improvements in medical services and infrastructure. Life expectancy in the region has more than doubled since the 1950s.

Meanwhile, Xizang is witnessing unprecedented heritage protection. The traditional culture is not only well preserved but also thriving through the efforts of local people and the vigorous support of state-funded programs.

Over the past few decades, the central government has invested billions of yuan in preserving cultural treasures such as the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In the meantime, traditional arts like thangka painting are becoming increasingly popular both at home and abroad.

Xizang has also made significant strides in environmental conservation, particularly in safeguarding the fragile plateau ecosystem. Located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the source of several major rivers in Asia, Xizang boasts one of the most pristine ecological environments in the world.

These achievements rest on a solid foundation of the region's economic development, which delivered tangible benefits to the local people. Between 2012 and 2024, per capita disposable income for urban residents in Xizang tripled, while that for rural residents nearly quadrupled. Notably, Xizang bid farewell to extreme poverty in 2019 that had plagued the area for thousands of years.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Xizang Autonomous Region. People of all ethnic groups in Xizang are enjoying rising living standards, strengthened ethnic unity, and a growing sense of happiness. This speaks volumes of Xizang's remarkable human rights advancements.

Guided by the Communist Party of China's strategic approach to governing Xizang in the new era, the region stands poised for an even brighter and more prosperous future, brimming with confidence and hope. Enditem

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