Elderly Tibetans: Cherish current life

WATCH VIDEO

Source: CCTV.com | 03-28-2008 13:35

The public in Ganzi Tibet Autonomous Prefecture in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan has condemned the recent riots.

Two elderly people, who have witnessed the development of Tibetan areas over the past decades, say the rioters should cherish their happy life. CCTV reporter Zeng Siwei takes us to Kangding, capital of the prefecture, to meet the elderly couple.

Two elderly people, who have witnessed the development of Tibetan areas over the past decades, say the rioters should cherish their happy life.

This old man and his wife have worked in Tibet and Ganzi for over half a century. They've both witnessed the development of Tibetan areas. Wanggyai said a trip from Chengdu to Ganzi used to take him three days. But now it can be done in only five or six hours. And with the airport in Kangding starting operations soon, he believes that more tourists and investors will come to the area.

Kangding resident Wanggyai said, "Without the Communist Party, our life would not be so happy today. This is a fact."

The old man's wife is also a Tibetan. She described the changes in nearby areas as tremendous. They used to live in a wooden house, but they now have a two-storey concrete house with a spacious yard. A few years ago, only a handful of different vegetables were available in Kangding. But with the improved transport links, Fu Guizhen said material supplies are abundant and they can even get fruits from Taiwan.

Kangding resident Fu Guizhen said, "The living conditions are good. I don't understand what was on the mind of those rioters. There were only a small handful of criminals and most of them were young people. I think they were deceived. Our current standard of living has not come easily. The public will say no if the Dalai clique wants to destroy it."

Fu added that quite a few of her friends are enjoying national health care insurance. Children from the local area now receive education in inland provinces free of charge. The old lady said she couldn't even have imagined such a thing in the past.

Editor:Zhang Ning