LHASA, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday held a grand gathering to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet.
The event was held in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
The national flag of the People's Republic of China was raised at the beginning of the celebration. People sang the national anthem.
A congratulatory message from the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the State Council, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Central Military Commission was read.
Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, attended the gathering and presented congratulatory plaques and banners.
Wang also addressed the event.
Wang, who is leading a central delegation to Tibet, said the delegation is entrusted by the CPC Central Committee and Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, to jointly celebrate the 70th anniversary of Tibet's peaceful liberation with people of all ethnic groups in Tibet.
Wang called the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951 "a major victory in the cause of liberation of the Chinese people and China's reunification," saying it marked a historic transition with epoch-making significance for Tibet.
"Since then, Tibet has embarked on a path from darkness to brightness, from backwardness to progress, from poverty to prosperity, from autocracy to democracy, and from closeness to openness," Wang said. "A thriving socialist new Tibet is standing tall and firm at the rooftop of the world." Enditem
