70th Anniversary of Tibet’s Peaceful Liberation

I do think highly of China’s religious policy in terms of protecting religious freedom in Tibet and other parts of the country. It has spent significant sums on the repair and renovation of many monasteries and the preservation of intangible cultural heritage. The country has invested considerable money to build new Buddhist colleges in Tibet and has trained many apprentices and sutra instructors.

Jewon Koondhor Rinpoche, a Living Buddha who returned to China from overseas

The year 2021 marked the 70th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet.

From ancient times to the present, the Tibetan people on the snow-covered plateau have created a rich and colorful culture highlighted by the majestic Potala Palace, King Gesar hailed as the “Homer’s epic in the East,” and thangka, the “encyclopedia of Tibetan culture.” Before the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, the theocratic serfdom system stifled the vitality of Tibetan society, and caused a decline in traditional Tibetan culture.

The peaceful liberation of Tibet commenced a new era of the protection and development of Tibetan culture. Over the past 70 years, the strong support from the government has enabled the intangible cultural heritage of Tibet to be effectively protected, inherited, and developed. Tibetan culture has brightened its old mysterious colors and emerged from the snow to warm the world.

Xinhua Nyima and his apprentices perform Jiuhe Zhuo dance in Jiuhe Village of Qonggyai County in Shannan, southwestern China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. Originating in the Shannan region, Jiuhe Zhuo dance has been included in China’s national intangible cultural heritage list.