STORY: 80-year-old former serf experiences great changes in life in Xizang
SHOOTING TIME: Recent
DATELINE: March 30, 2024
LENGTH: 0:02:08
LOCATION: LHASA, China 
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE 1 (Tibetan): DRAKPA WANGDEN, Resident in Yamda Village in Lhasa, China's Xizang
2. various of Drakpa Wangden
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Tibetan): DRAKPA WANGDEN, Resident in Yamda Village in Lhasa, China's Xizang

STORYLINE:

SOUNDBITE 1 (Tibetan): DRAKPA WANGDEN, Resident in Yamda Village in Lhasa, China's Xizang
"The hardships of old Xizang, if spoken of, were truly endless.
I'm Drakpa Wangden. I'm now 80 years old. 
In old Xizang, I was a serf under the dominion of serf owners. I never knew where my next meal would come from. I was just like livestock that can talk.
I worked as a serf until 1959. Despite having 5 mu of land allocated to me, it wasn't truly mine. The toil on those 5 mu of land was endless, from sowing the first seed to harvesting the wheat. Hard labor was a given, but where did the harvest go? It went straight to the serf owner, leaving me with barely anything to call my own.
Those were truly worrisome times. When it came to planting the crops, I often found myself without seeds. I had to resort to borrowing seeds, and if the creditor didn't provide them in time, the planting would be delayed.
But once we went on the path of borrowing, it seemed that the debts could never be repaid. It was a cycle of borrowing upon borrowing, accumulating more and more debts without end. 
During times when there was no food to eat, the elders in the family had to go out and beg for food. As I was the youngest in the family, I often relied on food obtained by my older siblings to satisfy my hunger.
The hardships came to an end in 1959. Since then, I've had ownership of my house, and my personal freedom is entirely my own."

In March 1959, democratic reform swept through Xizang, 
abolishing feudal serfdom and ushering in a new era of freedom

SOUNDBITE 2 (Tibetan): DRAKPA WANGDEN, Resident in Yamda Village in Lhasa, China's Xizang
"We are very happy now. Why? Because now, the house is filled with food supplies, something we rarely saw (in old Xizang). People are eager to cultivate the land. If they wish to farm, they farm; if they feel tired, they take a rest. There's no longer the arbitrary control of serf owners dictating our every move.
In the past, we toiled day and night, obeying the commands of the serf owners. There was no room to express fatigue or illness; we simply had to keep our heads down and work.
Now it's much better. There are no better days than what we have now." 

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Xizang.
(XHTV)