In mid 20th Century Tibet, the largest ethnic minority-ruled region in China's southwest, was still a feudal serfdom under the despotic theocratic rule of officials, lamas and nobles.

The peaceful liberation in May 1951 freed Tibetans from the fetters of imperialistic encroachment to enter a new epoch. Certain members of the ruling class, however, were unwilling to acknowledge the trend of historical development and dreamed to preserve serfdom. In March 1959 they started an armed rebellion intended to fragment the country. The central government, under the approbation and support of the Tibetan People, took decisive measures to disbanded local government of old Tibet and suppress the rebels and at the same time carry out democratic reforms in Tibet. The reforms abrogated the region's obsolescent system of serfdom and overthrew the rule of the three main estate-holders, among whom the Dalai Lama was the most powerful. Democratic reform liberated millions of Tibetan serfs and salves, and made them masters of their homeland. On January 19, 2009 the second session of the 9th National People's Congress decided to set March 28 the Day of Liberation of Millions of Serfs. On the advent of the 50th anniversary of the historical event, we hold the 50th Anniversary of the Democratic Reform in Tibet Exhibition, which is intended to demonstrate the remarkable achievements Tibet has made over the past 50 years under the central collective leadership of the CPC with Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin as the core, and the present CPC Central Committee with Hu Jintao as the General Secretary.