Before the democratic reform, Tibet was in a feudal serfdom society with the unity of politics and religion and the dictatorship of monks and nobles for a long time, which was darker and more cruel than the serfdom in medieval Europe. The democratic reform in Tibet, which began in March 1959, overthrew the feudal serf system, and serfs gained personal freedom from then on, which was a great epoch-making change in Tibetan history.
After the democratic reform, millions of serfs turned over as masters and gained personal freedom. With the support of the central government and other provinces and regions, people in Xizang has devoted unprecedented enthusiasm to building its homeland, which has enabled Tibet to achieve rapid development in politics, economy and culture. In the past 3 years alone, the per capita net income of Tibetan farmers and herdsmen has increased by 18 times, and people's living standards have been greatly improved. In old Tibet, serfs who could only live in barns now live in spacious houses and enjoy family life.