In 2021, the Spring Festival and the Tibetan New Year fall on the same day. Ahead of the festivals, Panchen Erdeni Choskyi Gyalpo extends his New Year greetings to all Tibetans within China and the world at large.

Full text of Panchen Erdeni Choskyi Gyalpo greetings of Tiebtan New Year

Dear friends, today, through China Media Group, China News Service and China Tibet Online, I would like to extend my best wishes to all my fellow Tibetans at home and abroad for both the Spring Festival and the Tibetan year of the Iron Ox.

The year of 2020 was an extraordinary year. Under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China with Xi Jinping as its core, the Chinese government has been adhering to the principle of putting people and life first. The whole country united together, and all people worked with one heart, achieving outstanding results in preventing and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, which draws much worldwide attention. From the pandemic, we have further understood how precious life is. As I see it, health, peace and happiness are the most precious fortune in human life. From the pandemic, we have also further understood that all human beings are in a community with a shared future.

I visited many places in Tibet over the past year. I saw with my own eyes the thriving new Tibet that has accomplished the historical feat of eradicating absolute poverty, a region where people are living in peace and working with happiness and full confidence, a region which enjoys an environment with blue sky and clear waters, a region which is blessed with rich culture and harmonious coexistence of different religions and different peoples. I feel very gratified to see the new Tibet today. A glorious time and a happy homeland is not a gift from nature. We should remain grateful for our country, and for the thousands upon thousands of people willing to sacrifice for us. We should be much aware of Karma and restrain the greed, hatred and delusion in our minds and the thought of differences. We should remain benevolent and as much as possible do things that can benefit the nation, the society and the people. We should cherish the happy life and spend every day in this life well. We should also take good care of all living things and the environment of the plateau. Only in this way can we follow a virtuous path which therefore brings happiness.

The human being still faces a formidable journey ahead to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. We should put down the thought of differences and join hands to cope with the outbreak. May the COVID-19 pandemic come to an end as soon as possible! Let us jointly wish and pray the world be peaceful, the country be prosperous, the people live in peace, the weather be favorable, and all living things live joyfully! I wish everyone and every family be happy, safe and sound in the New Year and reap a new harvest. Tashi Delek (Best wishes)!