STORY: Revisiting Khesum: pioneer of Xizang's democratic reform 
SHOOTING TIME: March 26, 2024
DATELINE: March 29, 2024
LENGTH: 00:03:31
LOCATION: LHASA, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE 1 (Tibetan): SONAM DONDRUP, Resident of Khesum community in China's Xizang
2. SOUNDBITE 2 (Tibetan): SONAM DONDRUP, Resident of Khesum community in China's Xizang
3. SOUNDBITE 3 (Tibetan): SONAM DONDRUP, Resident of Khesum community in China's Xizang
4. SOUNDBITE 4 (Tibetan): SONAM DONDRUP, Resident of Khesum community in China's Xizang
5. SOUNDBITE 5 (Tibetan): SONAM DONDRUP, Resident of Khesum community in China's Xizang
6. various of Khesum community
7. SOUNDBITE 6 (Tibetan): GANG TSUK, Party chief of Khesum community in China's Xizang
8. SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): TASHI DELEK, Legal person of a local noodle processing factory
9. SOUNDBITE 8 (Tibetan): SONAM DONDRUP, Resident of Khesum community in China's Xizang

STORYLINE:

SOUNDBITE 1 (Tibetan): SONAM DONDRUP, Resident of Khesum community in China's Xizang
"I became a serf when I was eight years old, and my life was miserable back then."

Sonam Dondrup was born in 1943 at Khesum Manor in old Xizang.

Before the democratic reform in 1959, for many generations, his ancestors worked as serfs at the Khesum Manor.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Tibetan): SONAM DONDRUP, Resident of Khesum community in China's Xizang
"I lived a life oppressed by serf owners, often beaten by them. I didn't have enough food to eat or warm clothes to wear. Some people would starve to death and some people would freeze to death."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Tibetan): SONAM DONDRUP, Resident of Khesum community in China's Xizang
"At that time, all I could wear was patched and tattered clothes. At night, I had to sleep outside with a tattered quilt. I was not allowed to sleep indoors."

Khesum was the first village in Xizang to launch the democratic reform in 1959 when all serfs were emancipated from feudal serfdom.

SOUNDBITE 4 (Tibetan): SONAM DONDRUP, Resident of Khesum community in China's Xizang
"After the democratic reform, we no longer have to endure beatings or suffer exploitation from serf owners. Now we live very happily, with very good living conditions such as good clothing, food and drinks. There's nothing to worry about anymore."

The Serfs' Emancipation Day falls on Thursday this year.
Now Dondrup lives in a well-furnished traditional Tibetan-style courtyard in Khesum community, and enjoys his old-age life with his family.

SOUNDBITE 5 (Tibetan): SONAM DONDRUP, Resident of Khesum community in China's Xizang
"In old Xizang, the idea of sending children to school was unthinkable. Now, seeing my grandchildren going to school, I think this is happiness."

Located some 160 km from the regional capital Lhasa, Khesum is easily accessible by car or train. 

SOUNDBITE 6 (Tibetan): GANG TSUK, Party chief of Khesum community in China's Xizang
"The Khesum community currently has 245 households, with 880 residents. 
The community is close to the city of Shannan. Convenient transportation enables many residents to go out for work. The average per capita income is over 30,000 yuan (4,151 U.S. dollars) yearly."

SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): TASHI DELEK, Legal person of a local noodle processing factory
"This is the first factory after the democratic reform, and now I have taken over it. When I took it over in 2016, our technology and equipment were relatively backward, and we could only produce over 150 kg of noodles daily. Under the favorable policies of rural revitalization, we purchased equipment and received technical assistance. Now, in a single day, we can produce over 2,000 kg of noodles, increasing both the profit and output. Currently, our sales channels include platforms such as Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) and JD.com. Our products have been sold from Shannan to the whole country."

Today, Khesum epitomizes a typical rural community in Xizang.

In the past 65 years, Xizang has progressed from poverty to prosperity and from autocracy to democracy. The regional GDP soared to nearly 239.3 billion yuan (about 33.7 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, a significant leap from the meager 174 million yuan in 1959. The average life expectancy rose from 35.5 years before 1959 to 72.19 years in 2021.

SOUNDBITE 8 (Tibetan): SONAM DONDRUP, Resident of Khesum community in China's Xizang
"Now I'm living a good life, and I feel very happy."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lhasa, China.
(XHTV)