On the afternoon of March 18, 2009 when the Beijing city was immersed in the warm and bright sunshine of early spring, more than 50 Beijing-based correspondents of 30 overseas media organizations including Reuters, AFP, NHK and ITAR-TASS, were invited by the Information Department of the Foreign Ministry to visit the 50th Anniversary of Democratic Reform in Tibet Exhibition at the Beijing Cultural Palace of Nationalities. They exchanged ideas with the researchers of Tibetology at the exhibition hall.

Composed of five sections, the exhibition is the first major one of its type held in China on the theme of democratic reform in Tibet. More than 500 pictures, over 180 objects and a series of valuable historical files and literatures record comprehensively and vividly Tibet’s peaceful liberation, crackdown on the armed rebellion, democratic reform, conflict between reunification and separation, progress and regress, the half century of economic and social development and significant achievements of human rights in Tibet and the happy life of Tibetans today. The correspondents saw in the exhibition the cruelty of the feudal serf system in old Tibet and felt the earthshaking changes that had taken place in Tibet over the 50 years of democratic reform.

Stepping in the exhibition hall, the correspondents were immediately attracted by the 4.88 meters high ancient-style cooking vessel for commemoration of national unity. Some of them took pictures and others noted down the words carved on the vessel which was presented by the central government to the government of Tibetan Autonomous Region on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Tibet’s peaceful liberation.

At the section of “Tibet before Peaceful Liberation”, the scene built according to real life titled the “comparison of life of serfs and serf owners” illustrates the luxury life of Tibetan serf owners and the miserable life of serfs. The sharp contrast impacted the correspondents strongly. They all took out cameras to record this historical moment. They stopped in front of the pictures of eye gouging of serfs and the instruments of torture, shocked by the brutal excruciation suffered by the serfs.

At the second exhibition hall, the correspondents visited the landscape sculptures of the liberated serfs burning covenants of selling themselves.

At the section of “Huge Achievements of Economic and Social Development and Human Rights in Tibet”, there is a scene entitled “celebrating Tibetan New Year” displaying an ordinary Tibetan herdsman family. Two family members were carefully and devoutly making the unique Tibetan religious painting Thangka.

At the section of “Tibetan Cultural Protection and Development”, pictures about exquisite cultural objects with strong local style produced since the democratic reform vividly demonstrated the great progress and prosperity of cultural undertaking of Tibet over the past 5 decades.

Researchers of the Tibetology Research Center of China Zhang Yun and Degyi Zhoema communicated with the journalists friendly and answered their questions. The two researchers elaborated the Tibetan policy of the Chinese government in great details and listed specific facts and numbers to explain the remarkable political, economic and social achievements of Tibet over the half century of democratic reform. Degyi Zhoema, with her personal experience, introduced the great changes of Tibetan women’s status after the democratic reform.

 

The correspondents said the exhibition which displayed the brutality of feudal serf system in old Tibet and the happy life of Tibetans today helped them understand a true and changing Tibet. The arrangement of communications with Tibetology researchers during the visit was a great idea, which made their tour more impressive and effective.

The correspondent of ITAR-TASS said he was fortunate to have been to Tibet once. Tibet is really beautiful. The exhibition has helped him better understand the local social customs.

The correspondent of Spanish Televisio de Catalunya said he had never been to Tibet. His visit to the exhibition seems to be a journey to Tibet and deepened his understanding about the Tibetan history and culture. Some foreign journalists do not understand Tibet very well, and it’s totally necessary to hold such kind of exhibition, he said.