LHASA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Ngawang Drolma, 82, lives in Kyerpa Village of Shannan City in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. Her childhood was defined by hardship as she had been serving the serf-owners along with her parents since she was seven years old.

As a serf, her main daily work was cattle-herding. She ran barefoot all year round, enduring scorching heat and bitter cold. Even when her feet were cracked, she never dared to rest for a moment. Working hard for a whole day, her family could only get a small measure of highland barley. The whole family suffered from hunger throughout the year, and their clothes were covered in patches. Wearing new clothes was an unattainable dream for them.

It was not until the democratic reform in Xizang in 1959, when millions of serfs were emancipated, that her life truly began to change for the better.

Nowadays, Ngawang Drolma lives a stable and comfortable life, with no worries about food or clothes, and no one bullies her family anymore.

"I am filled with gratitude for having the life I have now," said Ngawang Drolma. "Having tasted all the bitterness in old Xizang, I know how precious today's life is."