Our Privacy Statement & Cookie Policy

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser.

I agree

How were serfs treated in old Xizang? One man recalls 65 years of change

Updated 11:52, 30-Mar-2024
06:03

"Our old Tibetan boots were our sleeping pillows, and our worn trousers were our blankets. No matter how hard you worked, you still didn't have enough to eat. No matter how hard you worked, you were still a serf of the Trengring manor," said 78-year-old Dawa Phentok, a former serf of the Trengring manor in Gyangze County, Xigaze City, China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

March 28 marked the 16th Serfs' Emancipation Day and the 65th anniversary of the abolition of feudal serfdom in the region. Before the democratic reform in Xizang in 1959, the nobles controlled the majority of Xizang's wealth and resources. What kinds of power did they wield?

Join CGTN's Mi Sutong to visit a former serf's house and the Palha manor, the best-preserved aristocratic manor in Xizang, to experience the luxurious life of the masters and the tragic fate of the serfs. 

(Pasang Phanthok contributed to the translation from Tibetan to Mandarin.)

Search Trends