Tibet to build tourist brand through ancient roads

Tibet will focus on boosting tourism along the ancient Tang (Tang Dynasty)-Tibet and Tea-Horse roads in the next few years, according to Tibet's Regional Tourism Bureau.

Dating back to 641 AD of the Tang Dynasty(618-907), the Ancient Tang-Tibet road was the only way connecting central China to western China including Qinghai and Tibet, as well as to Nepal and India. The 3,000-km road from Xi'an, capital of Shannxi Province, to Lhasa, Capital of Tibet, is known as the "Southern Silk Road."

The Tea-Horse Road, an international trade passage for folks, is considered a corridor for ethnic economic and cultural exchanges in southwest China.

Featuring historical background, the two roads are expected to stimulate the regional tourism development with supporting facilities such as the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, and the Sichuan-Tibet and Xinjiang-Tibet highways.

Visitors to the two scenic belts can enjoy the world-famous tourist attractions including the Potala Palace, Mt. Qomolangma, the Yarlung Zangbo River and holy mountains and lakes in northern Tibet.

"We will intensify efforts to upgrade tourist infrastructure and improve our reception capacity, " said Yu Yungui, the leading official of the Regional Tourism Bureau.