Believers pray in front of Potala Palace in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Feb. 17, 2009. Cultural relic sites in Lhasa, including the Potala Palace, have seen about 300,000 visitors and prayers from at home and abroad this year, according to local cultural relics bureau. [Xinhua/Zhu Wei] |
"Red Tourist Sites" have become new landmarks for Tibet's tourism though Potala Palace, Mt. Qomolangma and Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon are still among the must-see tourist sites for travelers to Tibet.
Tibet's "Red Tourist Sites" refer to the places where Tibetans stood against aggression and where Tibet launched its peaceful liberation and democratic foundations.
The first batch of "Red Tourist Sites" includes Anti-British Invasion Ruins on Zongshan Mountain in Gyantse County, Martyr Cemetery in Lhoka Prefecture, County Committee Red Building in Bome County, General Building in Yi'ong of Bome County and "Heroic Advance Company" Site in Ngari Prefecture, according to Wang Songping, deputy director general of Tibet's Tourism Office.
A movie "Red River Valley" earned great fame home and abroad for Gyantse, southwestern Tibet. Many tourists came to Zongshan Mountain to visit the Anti-British Invasion Ruins where Tibetans fought a war against the invading British in 1904.
"Visiting these ruins inspires love for my country," Chen Xiong, a traveler from Sichuan Province, said.
Statistics from Gyantse's Tourism Office show that the site has received 16,790 tourists from home and abroad and earned a profit of 503.7 thousand yuan (74 thousand U.S. dollars) so far this year.
"Many tourists demand to visit some 'Red Tourist Sites' and that's why travel agencies add the sites on their list," said Tsering, deputy general manager of Tibet's Shenyuan Snow Pigeon Travel Agency.
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