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SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS 　　The atmosphere was festive to say the least in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region in early September. The first day of the month marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of the autonomous region， and people dressed in brightly colored clothing sang and danced to celebrate the occasion across the region. 　　This celebration culminated in a grand celebration in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa， the regional capital， on September 8. 　　In his speech， Yu Zhengsheng， Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference， China’s top political advisory body， said that over the past half century， remarkable changes have taken place in the snow-covered plateau. 　　“Tibet has seen rapid improvement in its infrastructure and medical and education services， as well as people’s living standards. Its rich traditional culture has been preserved and carried forward， and its ecological environment well-protected，” Yu said. 　　He restated the Central Government’s policy toward Tibet， which focuses on strengthening ethnic solidarity， maintaining law-based governance， boosting economic development and improving people’s living conditions. 　　A plaque inscribed with President Xi Jinping’s words “Enhancing ethnic solidarity， building a beautiful Tibet” was presented to the regional government at the ceremony. 　　“Now， residents in Tibet have pension and medical insurance， and our income increases year after year，” said Balsang， a Lhasa resident. 　　 Economic development 　　Tibet Autonomous Region was founded on September 1， 1965. Since then， the region has experienced leapfrogging social and economic development. Its GDP soared to 92.08 billion yuan （$14.46 billion） in 2014， a 281-fold increase from 1965. Since 1994， the local GDP has grown at an annual rate of 12.4 percent on average， registering double-digit growth for 20 consecutive years. The region has built a comprehensive transportation system including