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  Tibet sees forty years of marked progress  By Hu Xiao (China Daily)  Updated: 2005-09-02 05:34  
 
 LHASA: At the foot of the Potala Palace, more than 20,000 farmers, herdsmen, 
lamas and people of various ethnic groups gathered, with the clear blue 
Himalayan sky filled with clouds of pigeons and balloons. 
 
 
 
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 | Tibetan children in traditional costume wave flowers at a gathering 
 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Tibet Autonomous Region in Lhasa 
 yesterday. [Xinhua] |   Coloured flags and 
traditional decorative gateways adorned the streets of Lhasa. Smiling faces were 
everywhere as people celebrated the 40th birthday of the Tibet Autonomous 
Region. 
The people were smiling because, in many cases, they were thankful. 
 "In today's rural areas in Tibet, we all enjoy the guarantee of medical care. 
The government provides children with free education, and now all villages have 
roads," said Anu, a villager from Tohlung Dechen in Lhasa County. 
 Anu was just one person expressing his heartfelt support, saying he was proud 
to see farmers and herdsmen enjoying the freedom to believe in whatever religion 
they wanted and conduct normal religious activities, and to see their Tibetan 
customs, habits, history and cultural traditions being fully respected. 
 Jia Qinglin, head of the central government delegation, congratulated the 
Tibetan people on their remarkable achievements during the past four decades. 
 He presented regional officials with a banner of congratulations, written by 
President Hu Jintao, which is inscribed with the words: "Strive for common 
prosperity with joint unity and development." 
   
  
  
 
 
  
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        |   |     | New semester begins across China |   |       |      |   |     | President Hu congratulates Tibet's anniversary |   |       |      |   |     | Flood-ravaged school has new teaching building |   |       |      
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