The 5th China Xizang Tourism and Culture Expo kicks off this week in Lhasa, the capital city of China's Xizang Autonomous Region. It serves as a platform to showcase the region's rich history, vast natural landscapes, and its commitment to high-quality development. Zhou Jiaxin has more. 

For many college students, graduation season is a chance for memorable travels.

Some choose Xizang, also known as Tibet, fulfilling their long-held dreams.

Tourists "One is Potala Palace here, also Yaamdrok Lake. We're gonna stay in Xizang for about 12 days."

Tourism is thriving again as evidenced by the long queues outside the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa.

Tourist "This is the center of Tibetan Buddhism. A week ago, we also went to the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon. It was full of natural beauty and really fascinating. Xizang to me is so beautiful and spectacular."

The ongoing tourism and culture expo in Lhasa showcases another captivating aspect of Xizang — its intangible cultural heritage.

Among them are the various types of Xizang incense, each with its distinctive fragrance and therapeutic properties, purifying the air and refreshing the mind.

The expo also highlights ecological conservation and green growth, underscoring the region's commitment to the environment.

WANG JUNZHENG Communist Party Secretary, Xizang Autonomous Region "Xizang is playing a significant role in safeguarding our country's ecological security. Ecological values most require our responsibility. Protecting the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau will be the biggest contribution to our nation's development."

Foreign delegates say Xizang also has historical and religious links with the rest of Asia.

H.E. DO JONGHAN Head, Delegation of South Korean Parliament "China's Tibetan Buddhism was the medium to pass Buddhist culture to the Korean Peninsula back in the Goryeo period. It's said that traveling to Xizang will turn you modest because you'll be touched by Tibetan's religious conviction, and more importantly the formidable, towering snow-capped mountains and immense roads."

Having traveled across China, American expert David Blair expressed his amazement at the country's reform and opening-up, as well as the transformation in Xizang over the years.

DAVID BLAIR Deputy Director, Center for China and Globalization "When I say what's happening in Tibet, it's happening all over China. We've seen great roads that have opened opportunities for average people here."

ZHOU JIAXIN Lhasa, Xizang "While meeting with CGTN and other international media outlets covering this year's expo, a high-ranking official from Xizang dismissed false accusations against the region's policies regarding boarding schools, Tibetan cultural protection and housing reallocation. The official now is inviting more foreign media not only as journalists but also as tourists to experience the true and beautiful Xizang. Zhou Jiaxin, CGTN, Lhasa in the Xizang Autonomous Region."