I have known old Toinzhub for years. After only one meeting, he seemed to sense what was on my mind and could always talk about my favorite subject. A day passes by slowly along with his sips of liquor and his vivid and detailed narration.

That noon, I met the old man in the courtyard and invited him to have a drink and chat in my home. As the liquor took hold, he began to talk freely of the events of the past forty years.

In 1965, when the Tibet Autonomous Region was founded, he was 21 and was studying in the first grade in the Lhasa Middle School. Mentioning this, he looks proud.

He said “At that time I was the leader of the school football team as well as the top tackle. Being handsome, I had great dignity before a group of girls.”
Before the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, only the children of nobles had access to education. For children of serfs, like Toinzhub, “going to school” was just an inaccessible dream. After the peaceful liberation, however, a variety of schools were founded in Tibet and all school-age children had the right to attend classes. Going to school was everyone’s pride and joy, and Toinzhub continued his study to middle school in such an environment.

At the time of the founding of the autonomous region in Tibet, our country had just passed through a three-year period of natural calamities, and common people was leading a difficult life with hardly enough food and clothing for basic living. In Lhasa, there were only cabbages and potatoes besides radishes in the vegetable markets, and the store display windows were empty.

“From July, stores became filled with goods very suddenly. Silk cloth, tinned food and other things rarely seen all came forth overnight. The same thing happened at the vegetable markets. I still remember at that time my mother bought some spinach but did not know how to cook and eat it. After talking over it for half a day, all of the family members agreed to dress the uncooked spinach in a sauce, but it tasted terrible”; the old man laughed heartily at the recollection.

“From July, domestic and foreign journalists began to gather in Lhasa, and more foreigners suddenly appeared on the streets. We had never seen so many foreigners.”

All organizations and units were preparing programs in celebration, and, at the Lhasa Middle School, Toinzhub took an active part in these activities.

For common people, the talk was all about the organization of government and who would become leaders, etc. Toinzhub’s father was serving as a translator for the Tibet Daily and both domestic and international news became the major topic of conversation at the dinner table.

September 1, 1965 was a solemn day for the poor common people on the Tibetan plateau, for it marked the point when their identities were no longer mere attachments to some serf-owner. Instead, they would become owners of themselves, able to organize their own government and administer their own affairs.

“On August 29, we heard the Central Government Delegation had come to Lhasa and we were very happy. Almost all people in schools, work units and residential areas emerged to cram the earthen roads before the Potala Palace, for highways had only been built a few years ago in Lhasa and they were not very wide. There was swampland and many poplars on the square before the Potala Palace. Being afraid of not seeing the delegation, some people climbed up the trees and others went onto the mountain slopes. Members of a singing and dancing group did the best, climbing up to the white dagobas and dancing with red silks. In former times who would have dared to climb up the white dagobas It was not enough to worship them on bended knees. But at that time who would think of it! Through the loudspeakers, it was repeated over and over again that Chairman Mao Has Sent His Men Here...” When talking of these experiences, Toinzhub’s eyes shone and his voice rose in pitch.

On August 29, 1965, Vice-Premier Xie Fuzhi led the Central Government Delegation to arrive in Lhasa and celebrate the formal founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The delegation consisted of 76 people coming from all the ministries of the Central Government, 27 provinces, municipalities directly under the Central Government and autonomous regions. Among them, the most important figure was General Zhang Jingwu, who had made an imperishable contribution to the peaceful liberation of Tibet. He was deputy leader of the delegation.

Among the welcoming crowds were many who had followed him over mountains and through rivers in Tibet, including Toinzhub’s father.

“At first it was said that General Zhang Jingwu could not come because of his heart disease. My father and others were very disappointed. Some of them were not familiar with him, in fact, as they only served as common soldiers under him. But they had deep feelings for both Zhang Jingwu and Zhang Guohua. During the delegation’s stay, my father’s friends often came to my home and talked about their life in the army. And they talked most about Zhang Jingwu. On the 29th, my father put on his best clothes usually reserved for the Spring Festival and went out very early. When the delegation’s motorcade passed by, the people waiting on both sides applauded and cheered. I was in my school’s team, and my father and some other elderly men were opposite, with tears in eyes. The delegation rode in canvas-topped jeeps. Besides Xie Fuzhi and Zhang Jingwu, it included Peng Wansan and Wang Jinmei...” the old man said, narrowing his eyes in an effort of recall. “I remember among the gifts given by the delegation, there was a painting of Chairman Mao, who was sitting on a snow-covered land, dressed in an overcoat with a cap, and there was a lake beside him. I also liked to paint at that time and paid special attention to that painting. It was very large and was hung in a resting hall in the south of the conference center of the autonomous region. I got a sight of it yet again in the 1980s. It is a gift given by the Central Government for the founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region!”

On September 1, 1965, approved by the Central Government, the Tibet Working Committee of the Communist Party of China changed its name to the Tibet Autonomous Region Committee of the Communist Party of China. Zhang Jingwu stepped aside because of his illness. Zhang Guohua served as the first secretary of the CPC Tibet Committee, and Tan Guansan, Zhou Renshan, Wang Qimei, Guo Xilan, Miao Piyi, Ren Mingdao, Yang Dongsheng, Ma Guishu, and Hao Pingnan served as secretaries of the Secretariat.

On September 8th, the 293 deputies to the Tibet People’s Congress (among whom 60 per cent were emancipated serfs and slaves) attended the conference and exercised their civil rights for the first time. They organized the People’s Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region, and Ngapoi Ngawang Jigmei was elected as Chairman of the People’s Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region, and Pagbla Geleg Namgyi and some others were elected as Vice Chairmen. It is from that day that the land of Tibet was handed over to the control of the Tibet people.

“During those days, Lhasa seemed like a big bar in the open air and there was a drifting fragrance of qingke wine in the air!” the old man said cheerfully.

Toinzhub began to sing, “Chairman Mao has sent his men here, snow mountains nod and smile to open a way. A golden ribbon connects Beijing and Lhasa ...”

During the founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region, all the entertainment activities lasted for a long time. Before leaving Lhasa, the Central Government Delegation paid a visit to schools. Toinzhub was selected as flag-bearer of an honor guard, and received the honored guests at school gate. Before the gate of the Lhasa Middle School at that time there was the Liusha River and there were two canals over which vehicles could not pass. The motorcade of the Central Government Delegation, therefore, stopped on open land.

“There were eight boys bearing flags altogether and I stood in the front. When Zhang Jingwu emerged, his hair was blown by wind. Someone with him pointed this out, and he stroked his hair with his hands to cover the bald spot in the front.”

While describing this, Toinzhub stood up, mopped his own sparse, saying, “just like this!” and then he could not help laughing loudly.

By the time the sun began to set, the old man was quite merry.

“Do you-know Without the Communist Party of China, without-without PLA, we were still serfs of others, and how could we-have a-drink!”