Society

Ganzi to celebrate 60th anniversary of its founding as prefecture

By Guan Xiaomeng, Huang Zhiling (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-10-26 16:20

The Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its founding as a prefecture on Wednesday, according to the Sichuan Provincial Government Information Office.

Established on November 24, 1950, the prefecture has witnessed tremendous changes over the past six decades.

Its per capita gross domestic product has risen to more than 10,000 yuan ($1,493) from less than 100 yuan. A highway network with the prefecture's capital, Kangding, at the center and connecting its 18 counties and neighboring Yunnan and Qinghai provinces and Tibet has taken shape, according to prefecture chief Li Changping.

Located in western Sichuan on the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Ganzi is the second-largest Tibetan inhabited area in China. It has a population of 1,020,000, more than 80 percent of whom are Tibetans.