WHEN China opened the first railway linking Tibet with the rest of the country Saturday, a group of Tibetologists cheered for the extended "living space" the "engineering marvel" will bring to the splendid, unique Tibetan culture.

"The influx of tourists will not only bring revenue into the region but will also lead to more cultural exchanges between Tibet and other parts of China," said research fellow An Caidan with China Tibetology Research Center (CTRC), the country's largest academic institution for Tibetan studies.

The development of the traffic network in Tibet means more opportunities for cultural exchanges between different ethnic groups in China, making it possible for Tibetan culture to be better inherited and enriched, said Dazhag, curator of the Museum of Tibet Autonomous Region.

Tibetan culture's full bloom between the seventh and ninth centuries was partly a result of extensive cultural exchanges between the ethnic group and others, An said.

According to the expert, the traditional Tibetan calendar combined calendar systems of India and other ethnic groups of China, its forging technologies absorbed Nepalese techniques, and its medicine took in traditional Chinese medical science.

The Tibetan lifestyle will inevitably change after the railway begins operation, said Huang Fukai, a member of the Chinese Association of Protection and Development on Tibetan Culture.

"They may have coffee and bread in addition to the traditional buttered tea and zanba," he said. Zanba is roasted highland barley flour.

Jeans and suits might also be welcomed by Tibetans, he added.

Editor: Wing