There is a private car for every 12 residents in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, according to statistics.

Tibet has 70,000 private cars, half of which were bought by residents in Lhasa, which has a population of 420,000. Statistics showed

Zhaxi Namgyai, who works at an enterprise in urban Lhasa, plans to buy a China-made car. "This is the most important purchase in my family this year," he said, adding, "A car at a price of 100,000 yuan (12,048 US dollars) is suitable for my family."

In old Tibet, the region had only two cars owned by the 13th Dalai Lama, who bought the cars from India in 1928.

Because of lack of modern roads, the cars had to be dismantled into spare parts which were then taken to Tibet on horseback for reassembly. The car used to shuttle between the Dalai Lama's summer resort and the Potala Palace with a total length of two kilometers.

At present, car owners grow rapidly in Tibet with improved living standards. Statistics showed the per capital disposable income of urban residents in Tibet averaged 8,058 yuan (about 970 US dollars) in 2003, 300 yuan more than the previous year's figure.

The growing rank of car buyers attracted many automobile manufacturers in other parts of China. Nearly 40 automobile agencies have settled down in Lhasa. Tibetans can buy any brand popular in other Chinese provinces. The Tianxiang Automobile Trade Co, one of the largest car dealers in Lhasa, sells nearly 1,000 cars a year.

Source: Xinhua