A gala was held Saturday in Beijing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the emancipation of Tibetan serfs. Top political advisor Jia Qinglin and other senior officials watched the performances.

Artists perform dance at a gala to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the emancipation of Tibetan serfs in Beijing, capital of China, March 28, 2009. [Xinhua]

The gala, held in the studio hall of the official CCTV, are mainly songs and dances performed by Tibetan artists expressing their joys and gratitude over the liberation of Tibetan serfs in 1959.

Saturday also marks the first Serfs Emancipation Day, which was endorsed by Tibetan legislators in January this year to commemorate the historic changes that took place in Tibet 50 years ago.

The first Serfs Emancipation Day was celebrated across Tibet Autonomous Region on Saturday, and people from elsewhere in China expressed their wishes to the Tibetans.