In recent years, with the supporting policies and a series of principles of the central government and Tibetan local government, great achievements have been made in Tibet.

Economy has maintained better, faster and greater development.Society has realized a sustainable harmony and stability. Ecological construction has contributed to green mountains and clear rivers, and the livelihood projects have made the Tibetan people live a happy and peaceful life.

“We have medical insurance cards. The local government will give us preferential cards in every holiday, and all the senior people over 60 years old could enjoy free bus transportation,” said Nyima Dondrup, a community resident from Chengguan District of Lhasa.

Economic development increases vitality

“In the past, our whole families relied on farming, now tourism makes us get rich. We could get thousands of yuan from our family hotel and restaurant every year,” said Ngawang Chozin, a herdsman from Mainling County, Nyingchi Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region, whose life is just an epitome of the local economic development.

Since last year, the local government has accelerated the transformation of the economic development pattern, and made efforts to raise the primary industry, strengthened the secondary industry and tertiary industry while advancing the reform in key areas and crucial links.

Therefore, the economic development vigor has been greatly enhanced as the scope and depth of the reform and opening up have been further broadened.

In 2012, the farming and animal husbandry production presented a sound situation and the major production objectives of grain, oil, vegetables, meat, milk and etc. have been fully completed.

Statistics from the Tibet Industry and Information Department show that only in the first half of 2012, the industrial added value reached 2,064 million yuan, a 12.7% increase year-on-year.

The growth, of the industry was 1.4 percent higher than that of the Tibetan GDP, 0.7 percent higher than the west areas of China and 2.2 percent higher than the national industrial growth.

It is reported that in 2012, the total number of tourists reached 10.584 million person-times and the tourist income reached 12.647 billion yuan, up by 21.7% and 30.3% respectively.

The tourism industry has developed rapidly, and more and more farmers now are making a living on local tourism resources.

Key projects comprehensively promoted

Since last year, the Tibet local government has speeded up to promote the construction of 226 key national investment projects.

“Bainang County is one of Tibet's granaries. In the past, the farmlands were watered by rain and traditional irrigation, and the outputs were low. Since the water conservancy projects have been set up in irrigated areas, farming yields have improved year after year, and people’s life has also been better and better,” said Tenzin, a villager from Luo jiang Township, Bainang County, in Shigatse Prefecture.

The implementation of the key projects has widened the income channels for farmers and herdsmen.

According to statistics, only in the “Eleventh Five-Year Plan” period (2006-2010), the construction of Tibetan water conservancy projects has increased the farmers' income by 600 million yuan.

People’s livelihood projects generate large force

The project of the central heating system in Lhasa has partly alleviated the heating problem which used to be mainly supported by electricity, coal or even cow dung.

In recent years, the Tibetan government has introduced a number of livelihood policies and measures, which rapidly improved the condition of housing, education and medical insurance to boom the life of people from all ethnic groups.

It is reported that in 2012, the local government had implemented investment of 13.5 billion yuan to guarantee and improve the livelihood of the people.

The Economy Housing Project is under construction, including 69,000 sets of affordable houses for farmers and herdsmen and 28.000 sets for residents in urban areas.

The implementation of the “Eight necessities to Peasant family” Project (Water, electricity, road, natural gas, communication, postal services, radio and television and beautiful environment are access to the peasant’s families.) has been speeded up, and the safe drinking water problem for 300,000 farmers and rural school teachers and students has been solved.

A total of 165,000 people had newly access to electricity, and the electric power coverage rate had reached 85.6 percent.

At the same time, education, health and cultural fields also rapidly advanced. The Tibetan government has issued a free education policy for public kindergartens in urban areas and a subvention system for private kindergartens, and taken a lead in China in realizing the 15 years free education.

With the support of the Central government and local government of the autonomous region, the agricultural and pastoral areas have completed the rebuilding and expansion of 654 rural residential schools, and newly built 110,000 square meters dormitories for rural teachers.

In the field of health, the local government has completed the rebuilding and expansion of three district-level and two prefecture-level medical institutions, and completed the standardization construction of four county-level and 42 township (town) health hospitals.

There have been improvements in the key cultural relic protection, press and publication projects as well as many public cultural facilities. Now, the cultural facilities are free opened to public.

"In the past, we did not have the central heating system in winter. People had to wear thick cotton-padded clothes even in the house. Now, the heating system has been installed and we are living comfortably as the indoor temperature is over 20℃ degree in winter,” said Chen Zongyi, a resident from the economic and technological development zone of Lhasa.