(XINHUA)

Some 5,000 people from all walks of life gather at the Potala Palace Square in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, on May 23, for a grand celebration of the 60th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet.

The people participated in the national flag-raising ceremony, sang the national anthem and presented flower baskets to the Monument to the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet.

The peaceful liberation of Tibet on May 23, 1951, paved the way for the abolishment of Tibet's theocratic feudal serfdom in 1959, and ushered Tibet into a new era. After six decades of development, the Tibetan people now enjoy rapid economic growth with their religious beliefs sufficiently respected.