Entering the Tibet autonomous region everything slows down as oxygen levels decrease, allowing people to enjoy the region's fantastic natural beauty and relaxed atmosphere.
Kalzang Rinzin knows every stone in the ruins of the Guge kingdom, a 10th century realm that existed in what is now Ngari prefecture in the western part of the Tibet autonomous region.
Traditionally, a Tibetan opera takes several days to perform, and Palden Wangchuk, a leading performer, believes that's one of the reasons the form is in danger of dying out.
A thangka is a painting on cotton, or silk applique, usually depicting a Buddhist deity or scene. It often takes the form of a scroll banner but it is not flat, unlike oil or acrylic paintings.
Editor's note: China is marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Tibet autonomous region. In the coming weeks, China Daily will bring you in-depth reports about developments in the region in the past half-century, focusing on culture and religion, environmental protection and eco-tourism.
As an ancient performance ritual, the Xuan dance was once dedicated to the god and kings of western Tibet.
Holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads, 80-year-old Lhasa resident Doje sits in a park crooning in a crowd gathered for a performance of famous Tibetan opera Padma Obar.
Visitors are flocking to Tibet, one of the world's remotest holiday destinations, as a result of massive investment in the region's transportation infrastructure, report Luo Wangshu in Xigaze and Xin Dingding in Beijing.
Zhu Guohua's latest, and proudest, achievement is helping a 71-year-old grandmother climb to the base camp at Qomolangma, the world's highest mountain, known in the West as Mount Everest.
Since May, 24 tourist attractions have been included in the "price trusted" list by the China National Tourism Administration after agreements which include not raising prices for three years.
While most thangka artists in the Tibet autonomous region are men, the work of producing the mineral pigments, and therefore the colors they use, is done exclusively by women.
In Tibetan language, "Ong" means the field and "Kor" means walking around, so it means walking around the crop fields to express the farmers' yearning for a good harvest.
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