Tibet opens its heart to tourists

Source: Xinhua  |   2008-6-26  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

TIBET greeted its first foreign tourists, a Swedish couple, yesterday, marking the full opening of Tibet to all overseas and domestic tour groups after a stoppage for more than three months following the March 14 riot in the regional capital of Lhasa.

The couple, 77-year-old Kurt Persson and 62-year-old Eva Sandstrom, arrived in Lhasa late yesterday afternoon by air from the northwestern city of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, the home of the famous terracotta warriors.

It was the first time the couple have visited the autonomous region. They were very excited and were presented with hada, a long piece of silk used as a traditional greeting gift in Tibet, at the Xungbala Hotel near the Jokhang Temple.

"That's fantastic!" said the woman, pointing to the Potala Palace through the window of the hotel room. "We've been looking forward to visiting Tibet for many years. Its monasteries and landscapes are fascinating."

Sandstrom was aware they were the first foreign tourists after the riot that killed 19, but they took it easy. "We have no worries about the safety here. It's no problem. The only worry was to get the permission to come to Tibet. We heard that the Tibetan people are kind and friendly."

Persson added they had studied many articles about Tibet before the trip. "I would like to share my feelings with you a few days later, when our trip is over," he said.

The couple will visit the Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple, Barkor Street, the Norbu Lingka Palace and a museum today and tomorrow, said Wang Hongmei, sales manager of the Xigaze bureau of the China International Travel Service.

On the weekend, they will visit Xigaze City and Gyangze County in southern Tibet. They will leave for Beijing by train on Monday, Wang said.

The couple had visited Shanghai and Xi'an before they came to Tibet.

Wang said her travel agency was now stepping up efforts to promote Tibetan tourism overseas. "We want to bring more foreign travelers here," she said.

A second group of foreign tourists, four Singaporeans, will arrive on Sunday, according to the Tibet Autonomous Regional Bureau of Tourism.

Tibet was re-opened to domestic tour groups on April 23, followed by visitors from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan in May.