Top: File photo taken in 1991 by Chogo shows a teacher instructing students in writing at a primary school in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Bottom: Photo taken on July 5, 2019 by Purbu Zhaxi shows a teacher giving a computer class to students at Haicheng Primary School in Lhasa. Tibet was the first region in China to provide free education for 15 years, and the illiteracy rate among young and middle-aged people has dropped to 0.52 percent. In 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded, the Chinese people faced a devastated country that needed to be rebuilt from scratch after decades of warfare and chaos. After decades of unremitting endeavors and dedication by the Chinese people, China has grown to be the world's second largest economy. In 1952, China's GDP was 30 billion U.S. dollars, while in 2018, its GDP reached 13.61 trillion U.S. dollars, an increase of 452.6 times. A group of combo photos give you a glimpse of what Chinese people did decades ago and what they do right now. Undoubtedly, people from all walks of life in China with hard work and wisdom have made contributions to the country's development. (Xinhua)
