Tibet received 8,417 visitors from Taiwan last year, 168 times that of the figure in 1992.

The majority of the visitors came to Tibet for sightseeing, academic exchanges and to pay homage to Buddhism, said Ah Ta, an official of the Tibet Regional Department of United Front Work.

Ah Ta said the Taiwan compatriots now come to visit in organized groups instead of coming individually or in very small groups as they did in previous years. Apart from ordinary people, some well-known figures, and professors were among those who visited the region.

The scope of contacts has expanded from sightseeing and religion to economy, culture, education, politics, sports, finance and agriculture.

Tibet has set up a Taiwan Affairs Office to deal with economic and cultural exchanges between the two sides.

(Eastday.com.cn 05/15/2001)