By Li Qian (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-08-23 10:07

LHASA: The Tibet Autonomous Region in Southwest China is enjoying a booming tourism industry thanks to the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway over a year ago.

Deng Xiaogang, vice-chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region, answers a question during a press conference in Lhasa, capital of the autonomous region, August 22, 2007. [chinadaily.com.cn]

The railway, the highest in the world, has been bringing record numbers of tourists into the plateau, with inbound visitors reaching 2.5 million last year, a 40 percent jump from 2005, said Deng Xiaogang, vice chairman of region of Tibet during a press conference in Lhasa on August 22.

Opened in July 2006, the railway serves as a major transport link for passengers and goods. It has greatly decreased the cost of moving cargo to 0.12 yuan per ton, compared with 0.27 yuan by road, making commodities more accessible and cheaper for Tibetan residents. At the same time, more Tibetan products are finding their way to bigger markets in the country.

But tourism has created the biggest boost in this area. Faced with the unprecedented number of travelers from home and aboard, the vice-chairman said the regional government is paying great attention to preserving culture in the autonomous region where Tibetan residents have developed its own arts.

Deng played down concerns by some people that those flocking into the region to seek job opportunities might leave local residents unemployed. He said it was normal to see exchanges between Tibetans and people from other regions and provinces.

"Like people coming here, and more Tibetans are going to Beijing, Shanghai and other cities and settling down there," Deng told chinadaily.com.cn. He added that the government of the autonomous region at the same time was trying to help more locals find employment. For example, during the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, local herdsmen were hired first, he said.

One of the attractions of the Tibet Autonomous Region is its clean air and blue skies. In order to minimize air pollution incurred from vehicles and industries related to tourism, Zhang Tianhua, head of the local environmental protection administration, said the autonomous region has been monitoring carbon dioxide in the air since the 1990s. Presently, the CO2 is still less than 20 milligrams in every cubic meter of air here.

And to preserve the environment, the government has banned the use of plastic bags in restaurants, hotels and shops in the autonomous region to reduce "white pollution."

These are some of the many efforts the government is doing to ensure the "roof of the world" has a bright future.