The Beijing-Lhasa International Automobile Rally, approved by the State General Administration of Sports, will start on August 7, 2001. It is sponsored by the Federation of Automobile Sports of PRC (FASC), and undertaken by Beijing Dongfang Guanyuan Cultural Development Company.

This race, also the third one planned by FASC for 2001, will adopt the competition rules of the FASC. It will go through open public roads for the whole course of nearly 5,000 km, with two speed-racing sectors in the vicinity of Jiayuguan Pass and Yumenguan Pass. The competitors will start from Tian'anmen Square on August 7, pass Beijing, Hebei Province, Henan Province, Shaanxi Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Gansu Province, Qinghai Province, and arrive on August 17 at the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the Tibet Autonomous Region, the day of arrival happens to be the famous Shoton (or sour milk drinking) Festival in Tibet. With an highest elevation of above 5,230 meters in the course, the competitors can enjoy the beautiful sights and experience the customs of ethnic minorities as they cross the plane, mountain, Gobi, desert, plateau snow-clad mountains, northern Tibet grassland, and wildlife nature reserve.

(People's Daily 02/16/01)