Tibetan people have celebrated the first year of the
Qinghai-Tibet Railway, recalling the changes brought by the rail
link that connects the landlocked region to the rest of the
country.
"When the rails rattle, the money comes in" was how Losang
Cering, 40, of Liuwu Village, near the Lhasa railway terminal,
described the railway's benefits.
"Before, we depended on the land for a living, but my people are
working in construction, running home-style hotels, and some are
driving cabs. They can earn about 2,000 yuan a month now, an
unimaginable sum before," he said.
A year after its inauguration, the railway has transported 1.5
million people into Tibet, nearly half of the total tourist
arrivals. The regional tourism administration says Tibet will
receive more than three million tourists this year.
"The railway is like a colorful hada (ceremonial silk scarf
regarded as a token of respect) that brings us good fortune,"
Losang said.
"The railway has facilitated access for pilgrims and believers
in and outside Tibet, and we are seeing a major increase rather
than decline in the number of pilgrims," said Chilai Qoisang,
deputy director of the regional Buddhism association.
Statistics from the regional government show 328,000 pilgrims
visited the Potala Palace, Norbuglinkha and Johkang Monastery, the
top three religious sites in Lhasa, last year up by 62,000 from the
previous year. The 1,956-km railway, runs from Xining, capital of
the northwestern Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, capital of Tibet
Autonomous Region.
(Xinhua News Agency July 2, 2007)