Lozang Gonpo waters plants at home in Lhasa, Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, March 27, 2024. 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. [Xinhua/Jigme Dorje]

"In those days, our humble abode, barely 30 square meters, served as shelter for our family of seven," he recalls. "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 explains.

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, including director of a residential committee, chairman of the industrial and commercial federation of a district, director of the commerce bureau of a district, and member of Lhasa Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference.

Lozang Gonpo is seen on his way home in Lhasa, Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, March 27, 2024. 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.

Lozang Gonpo (C) poses for photos with his family in front of his house in Lhasa, Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, March 27, 2024. 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.

Lozang Gonpo's daughter-in-law Yangjen serves tea to him at home in Lhasa, Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, March 27, 2024. 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.

This photo taken on March 27, 2024 shows a portrait of Lozang Gonpo, in Lhasa, Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region. 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.

Lozang Gonpo and his wife Tsering Palmo flip through old photos in Lhasa, Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, March 27, 2024. 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.