LHASA, March 24 (Xinhua) — In Lhunzhub County of Lhasa, southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, 95-year-old Palmo has witnessed profound changes of Xizang.
In old Xizang, Palmo’s life was fraught with hardship. From the age of 15, she was forced to work for serf owners day and night in the county. Basic foods such as tsampa, a traditional Tibetan staple made from barley flour, became luxury hopes. “Wearing new clothes was a luxury. Serfs had to borrow clothes from each other to keep warm. We had no shoes to wear, so we could only walk barefoot, enduring the pain of thorn injuries.” Palmo recalled with tears in her eyes.
In March 1959, people in Xizang launched a democratic reform that ended the region’s feudal serfdom and freed a million serfs. Former serfs and slaves like Palmo’s family ushered in the dawn. They got land, cattle and sheep with life heading towards a new beginning.
Today, Palmo’s family enjoys a prosperous life. “In recent years, our families and friends often gift us large bags of rice during festivals. This is a far cry from the old days when we could only afford a small amount of rice at a time,” said Palmo.
This photo taken on March 16, 2025 shows a portrait of Palmo in Lhunzhub County of Lhasa, southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)Palmo dances Guozhuang, a traditional Tibetan dance, during a ceremony marking the start of spring farming in Lhunzhub County of Lhasa, southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, on March 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)Palmo (2nd L) dances Guozhuang, a traditional Tibetan dance, with other villagers during a ceremony marking the start of spring farming in Lhunzhub County of Lhasa, southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, on March 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)Palmo (2nd L) dances Guozhuang, a traditional Tibetan dance, with other villagers during a ceremony marking the start of spring farming in Lhunzhub County of Lhasa, southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, on March 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)Palmo (C) rests with villagers during a ceremony marking the start of spring farming in Lhunzhub County of Lhasa, southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, on March 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Tenzin Nyida)Palmo presents her ID card in Lhunzhub County of Lhasa, southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, on March 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)■
