A think tank report released on Thursday hailed the practical achievements the Xizang autonomous region has made in terms of its rural development since its founding 60 years ago.

The achievements can be summarized as rapid economic growth, robust cultural preservation, safeguarding livelihoods, strengthened ecological protection and enhanced ethnic unity, according to the report.

Titled "Harmony Between Tradition and Modernity: Rural Development and Cultural Inheritance in China's Xizang", the report was jointly published by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development and the National High-Level Think Tank of Xinhua News Agency in both Chinese and English.

The three-chapter report provides a comprehensive introduction to the significant achievements of integrated pathways, along with experiences and insights from rural development and cultural inheritance in Xizang.

The report highlighted that value orientation rooted in respect for tradition, a development philosophy centered on human rights protection, and a goal orientation toward comprehensive and coordinated development are the three most important experiences and insights drawn from Xizang's success.

The report said it examined the grassroots implementation of the Party's strategy for governing Xizang in the new era through the lens of Xizang's representative villages, offering insights for countries and regions seeking to preserve cultural identity while pursuing modern transformation.

Xizang's flourishing villages are an epic integration of tradition and modernity, the report noted. "It sends a clear message to the world: modernization is not synonymous with Westernization. Rather, it is the creative transformation and innovative development of traditional culture rooted in local soil and oriented toward the future," it said.

Xiao Chuanjiang, an official of Xizang's culture and tourism department, said that Xizang has continuously promoted the systematic protection and revitalization of intangible cultural heritage projects by leveraging tourism as a carrier. This has been achieved through the construction of whole-village homestay clusters, village cultural museums, cultural squares, and other facilities.

Yang Tao, associate researcher with China Tibetology Research Center, noted that the report comprehensively summarizes Xizang's efforts in preserving and inheriting outstanding traditional cultural heritages, as well as in promoting village economic development.

Xinhua