Editor's Note

Is old Tibet a Shangri-la? Are Tibetans suffering in hell in New China as claimed by some? We do not intend to tell you, with our own words, what tibet is really like. We only want to provide some figures and pictures. Let them speak for themselves.

 
Figures Tell

35 vs 67

Life Expectancy before 1959 and present

43% vs 2.5%

Infant mortality rate before 1959 and present.

94.89%

Percentage of tibetans in Tibet's population

2.8m vs 1.1m

Tibet's population in 2007 and 1951

95% vs 5%

Illiteracy rate among young and middle-aged adults before 1951 and present

96%

Turnout rate in local election in Tibet in 2007.

100 billion

State investment in Tibet infrastructure in 57 years (in rmb yuan)

13643

Number of local residents aged 80 and above in Tibet

700 million

Money invested since 1980 to maintain 1,400 monasteries and cultural relics

1700

Number of religious sites for Tibetan Buddhism

100%

All farmers and herders are covered by the medicare system

69%

Percentage of local officials from non-han ethnic groups
more
Pictures Tell
Old Tibet
more
New Tibet
more
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