LI MIN/CHINA DAILY
Tibet has been an integral part of China since ancient times. But before the peaceful liberation of Tibet by the Communist Party of China in 1951, most of the local people lived in abject poverty.
A large number of historical accounts before 1951 reflect the terrible public health and hygiene conditions in Tibet. For example, beggars and stray dogs roamed the streets and sewage and waste were everywhere, even in the center of Lhasa, capital of the Tibet. Ekai Kawaguchi, a Japanese monk, was shocked by the filth and poverty in the city when he visited Lhasa in 1901. In his account, he wrote that the roadside ditches in Lhasa were full of manure.