2000 Tibet Yadong Cultural Festival Opens

The 2000 China Tibet Yalong Cultural Festival opened Friday in Yalong scenic spot at Zedang Township, Shannan Prefecture in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

The goal of the four-day festival, which has been held successively for three years, is to help with the research and development of Tibetan culture.

An organizer of the festival said that Shannan Prefecture has developed rapidly over the years and the economy has been growing at a double-digit rate.

In 1999, the average per capita income in the prefecture stood at 1,377 yuan, higher than Tibet's average level.

Nearly 10,000 people attended the opening ceremony, which included dancing and other performances to celebrate the event.



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