Since the founding of the People's Republic of China 70 years ago, the GDP of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest Yunnan has grown from 6.63 million yuan in 1952 to 21,75 million yuan in 2018, said local statistic authority.

With an economic increase of 3,281 times in the past seven decades, the tertiary/service industry in Diqing has replaced the traditional agriculture, becoming the major economic engine for the prefecture, said Diqing Prefectural Bureau of Statistics.

In recent years, Diqing has maintained an average GDP growth of 16.4%, standing out among the 16 prefectures/cities in Yunnan and the 10 Tibetan autonomous prefectures in west China.

In 2012, Diqing’s GDP exceeded 10 billion yuan, with a budget revenue of over 1 billion yuan. More 10 million visited the prefecture, and Diqing airport put through 400,000plus passengers.

Diqing has become a model Tibetan area for fast its economic development, social stability, ethnic unity, orderly religious activities, and well-being of the people.

Reporting by Yongji Zhuoma; trans-editing by Wang Shixue