Before the peaceful liberation in 1951, Tibet was a land-locked region without any modern industry. The locals lived on livestock breeding, and also on farming and handicraft business. After 1951, Tibet received financial and material support from the Central Government for the construction of key projects. In the 1980s, the Central Government organized national support for Tibet in terms of talent, materials, funding and technology. This was coupled with a special support geared to stimulate the further development of Tibetan economy and improvement of people's livelihood.