Xizang chairman hails region's miraculous development

LHASA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Yan Jinhai, chairman of the government of the Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China, hailed Wednesday the region's miraculous development in various undertakings over the past 65 years.

Yan made the remarks in a televised speech marking the democratic reform that ended feudal serfdom in Xizang 65 years ago.

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

Today, a total of 172 international and domestic air routes have linked Xizang with 74 cities across the world, and the total length of highways in the region has exceeded 120,000 kilometers, Yan said.

A modern education system has been formed in Xizang, with the total number of students in schools reaching 960,000, accounting for 26.3 percent of the total population of the region.

Notably, the growth rate of per capita disposable income of residents in Xizang has ranked first nationwide for nine consecutive years, Yan added.

On ecological conservation, the chairman said that Xizang's protected areas account for 36 percent of the region's total land area, and its rich ecological resources have greatly benefited people of all ethnic groups in the region.

A new socialist Xizang with social stability, ethnic unity, religious harmony, economic prosperity, improved people's livelihood, sound ecology, and consolidated borders is standing high on the "roof of the world," Yan said.