LHASA, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Lozang Gonpo was born in 1949. His childhood memories are fraught with tales of poverty, scarcity, and hardship. Hailing from a family of shoemakers, Lozang Gonpo's upbringing was characterized by early mornings spent learning the craft alongside his parents and grandparents.
"In those days, our humble abode, barely 30 square meters, served as shelter for our family of seven," he recalled. "With four children in the house, we shared a single bed and just one blanket, while clothes were washed and worn tirelessly."
The burden of a grain tax, amounting to 70 kilograms per person annually, loomed heavily over their heads. "If we had grain, we paid with grain; if not, we resorted to selling shoes to meet our obligations," Lozang Gonpo explained.
Following the democratic reform in Xizang in 1959, Lozang Gonpo was finally able to start a brand new life. At the tender age of 10, he embarked on a new journey as a student at Lhasa's First Primary School, marking the beginning of a remarkable transformation in his life. His trajectory didn't stop there. Lozang Gonpo went on to assume various roles in the society.
