The Developing Snowy Plateau
---Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Foundation of Tibet Autonomous Region
Situated on China's western border, Tibet has long been known as the "Roof of the
World". It is a mysterious land with long history, old culture and unique folk customs,
which boasts permanent snow-covered mountains, vast grasslands, magnificent
temples, charming sacred mountains and lakes. Mount Qomolangma is the world’s
highest peak standing erectly. Yarlung Zangbo Daxiagu is the world’s greatest canyon
twining around mountains as a jade belt.
Since Tibet Autonomous Region was founded in 1965, under the leadership of Chinese
government, Tibetan People make great efforts to build their own families, and as a result,
people’s living standard improved gradually, urban and rural looks changed dramatically.
Commerce, tourism, post and telecommunication, culture and entertainment, IT and other
new-emerging industries boast rapid development. The mileage open to traffic is more than 42,203
kilometers after the highway transportation network has been completed, which takes 5 national
highways as its main arteries, namely, Sichuan-Tibet, Qinghai-Tibet, China-Nepal, Xinjiang-Tibet
and Yunnan-Tibet highway. The construction of Qinghai-Tibet railway has been started since 2001,
and will be completed and open to traffic in 2007. Tibet’s history of no railway will be ended very
soon.
Old Tibet didn’t have any modern school. However, it already has 1,010 schools of various levels
and types till the end of 2004 with 486,352 students enrollment.
Medical and sanitary condition in Tibet and health care for people improved remarkably. Life
expectancy has risen from 35.5 to 67.
For Tibetan people’s religious activities, Chinese government has invested RMB300 million
continuously, renovated and opened over 1,400 temples and repaired and protected large quantities
of cultural relics. At present, Tibet Autonomous Region boasts over 1,700 places for Tibetan
Buddhism activities.
Entering into new century, along with the deepening of the development of China’s northwest, a
program with RMB31.2 billion of governmental investment for constructing 117 projects and
RMB37.9 billion of financial subsidies has being in process of carrying out.
Along with China’s reform and opening up, Tibet has opened wide its gate to the world. She is
showing her charms to the whole world with her ancient and fresh appearance.
Explanation of Photos:
01. The well-known Potala Palace becomes the symbol of Zang (Tibetan) nationality with its
splendid and majestic appearance and its status of the Holy Land for Tibetan Buddhism.
Innumerable pilgrims and travelers visit the Potala Palace every year.
02. Situated on the middle of Himalaya Mountains, the world’s highest peak---Mount
Qomolangma at an altitude of 8,848 meters，which is a target that many climbers in the world
aspire to conquer. This photo shows the distant view of Mount Qomolangma.
03. Yarlung Zangbo Big Bend is the highest, deepest, longest and most precipitous one all over the
world, the deepest place of which is Yarlung Zangbo Daxiagu with a depth of 6,009 meters. It
boasts the most abundant of mountain biological diversity, because of which, it won the reputation
as “Natural Museum of Vegetation Classification” and “Gene Bank of Biological Resources”.
04. Before 1950s, Lhasa, the capital of Tibet only was a region inhabited by Tibetan nationality
with a population of 20,000 and an area of less than 3 square kilometers. However, at present,
Lhasa has become a historical ancient city with an urban area of 54 square kilometers, which
boasts complete infrastructures, distinctive landscapes of plateau and unique ethnic customs.
05. Chinese government has invested huge amount of money to build Qinghai-Tibet railway in the
“Roof of the world”. The 1,956-kilometer Qinghai-Tibet railway will become the highest-altitude
and longest plateau railway when it has been completed. This railway will be open to traffic all the
whole line in this year, and will start its test run on July next year. This photo shows Qinghai-Tibet
railway that is under construction.
06. Snowy plateau separated Tibet and outside world, however, since Lhasa Gonggar Airport has
been built, people can go in and out by this airline. Along with the rapid development of economy,
airport construction in Tibet is striding forward modernization.
07. Till the end of 2004, telephone penetration rate in Tibet has reached 28.6%; the total number of
fixed and mobile telephones has reached 773,000. This photo shows a Tibetan herdsman using
cell-phone.
08. This photo shows Tibetan women from a carpets manufacturer in Tibet knitting carpets
featuring unique Tibetan style using their peculiar Tibetan method. Those carpets deeply
welcomed by people at home and abroad.
09. During the spring ploughing season, Tibetan farmers dressing up yaks for celebrating “pring
Ploughing Festival”.
10. Tibet has the reputation as the “Roof of the World”, however, because of the impact brought
about by climate and environment, people there hadn’t grow vegetables before. Along with the
development of economy, Tibetan farmers have learnt how to grow vegetables form inland people,
as a result, the quality of life there improved dramatically.
11. In Tibet, there is a shortage of coal resource. However, it has ample sunshine because of the
high altitude. Government encourages and advances the development of solar energy industry in
order to resolve the electricity supply problem for farmers and herdsmen. At present, the
development of solar energy in Tibet ranks top one all over the country.
12. Previously, most people in Tibet were illiteracies, and only a few people have learnt
knowledge in temples. For popularizing cultural education in Tibet, Chinese government has
carried out a series of preferential policies for education in Tibet Autonomous Region: tuition fees
for Tibetan students from elementary schools to Universities (included) will be afforded by
government; for Tibetan students who are living in agricultural and pastoral areas, government
will pay for their food, clothing and accommodation.
13. This photo shows in Lhasa, Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism accomplished monasteries debating on
Buddhist doctrines in the preliminary examination of Lharamba Geshi (Buddhist academic
degree), which indicates the resume of the highest-level of Tibetan Buddhism examination system
that suspended for 16 years.
14. Many temples in Tibet hold Buddha Painting Enfolding Festival every year, at that time,
monasteries will take out huge cloth paintings and brocades with embroidered statues of Buddha
treasured up in temples, and exhibit them on Buddha Painting Enfolding platforms. Many
thousands of pious men and women go there for view and worship.
15. Sagya Dawa Festival held on the 15th day of the fourth month of Tibetan calendar, at that day,
residents in Lhasa will wear splendid attires and go to Jokhang Temple for worship, and hold
various amusements. This photo shows pilgrims joining Buddhist mass in reciting Buddhist
scriptures in the temple.
16. Nowadays, farmers and herdsmen in Tibet have the freedom of voting their own village heads.
This photo shows villagers from Quxu Villiage of Quxu County in Tibet voting for the village
head.
17. China places great emphasis on the work of protecting cultural relics in Tibet. Over several
decades, the State has invested large numbers of financial and material resources for building the
cultural relics protection project in Tibet. This photo shows a craftsman carefully embellishing a
statue of Buddha in the temple.
18. Tibet Museum is the first museum that boasts modern functions in Tibet, which covers an area
of over 20,000 square meters. The display and design there are full of Tibetan style of art.
19. In Tibet, many large-scale activities have Xizang masks performances, by which people
express their human emotion of getting rid of evils, justice and others. This photo shows farmers
in Gyantse region of Tibet acting with Xizang masks in a folk activity.
20. In the grand traditional festival “Tarma Festival” of Gyantse County of Tibet, young people
wear their folk costume dancing the traditional dance for celebrating this festival.
21. The development of economy improved the living standard for herdsmen in Tibet. This photo
shows a room fitted up by a better-off Tibetan people himself for reciting Buddhist scriptures and
chanting Buddha name.
22. As the development of information and transportation, the communication between Tibet and
outside world is getting more day by day, and the material life of Tibetan people is getting rich day
by day. However, Tibetan people still show preference for their traditional clothing. This photo
shows Tibetan women selection folk costume in the store.
23. In Tibet, goods and materials have been enriched and information and transportation have been
improved day by day, which make the spare time activities of Tibetan people are similar to the
ones people hold inland. This photo shows a child playing electric car (toy) with a Tibetan woman
in front of a store.
24. People dancing the social dance and enjoying their leisure time in a Tibetan-style decorated
singing hall in Lhasa, Tibet.
25. This photo shows people put up tents for enjoying leisure time in Norbuglinkha (Park) in
Lhasa, Tibet.