Work on the Lhasa terminal station of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway
was finished on Tuesday -- less than a fortnight before it opens
for travelers.
Railway chiefs are keeping operational details of the two-storey
building under wraps until the official opening on July 1.
It's known that the station is the largest on the line and is
3,600 meters above sea level. It's located in a new area of the
city on the south bank of the Lhasa River around 30 kilometers from
the Potala Palace.
Zhang Zhancheng, secretary of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Project
Command Headquarters of the China Railway Construction Engineering
Group, said the architectural style was a combination of Tibetan
traditional and modern elements. The main colors of the
station are the traditional Tibetan white and red which are the
colors of the hada, a ceremonial silk scarf, and
temples.
Since May 10 more than 5,000 workers have toiled to ensure
completion before the July 1 opening ceremony. Decoration of the
building and construction of the square and platform are
finished.
Environmentally-friendly solar power is being used for heating
in the station.
However Zhang declined to reveal any details such as how many
passengers the station could accommodate. "You'll know that on July
1," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency June 21, 2006)