Domestic and international tourist numbers at the Niangre Folk-Custom Park, 6 kilometres north of Lhasa, have soared since the Qinghai-Tibet Railway started running last month.

The whole region has become much more accessible since the new line became operational, offering a convenient and accessible way for huge numbers of tourists to reach the unique environment in Tibet.

The 3A tourist view site and nearby Niangre Folk-Custom Park have lured the new tourists in thanks to a unique combination of spectacular scenery and distinctive folk customs.

The site of the park is ancient and rooted in the distant past of the Tibetan people, who have lived in the area for at least 4,500 years. The Tibetan language evolved in this area and the park has the first stone carving of the Tibetan Buddhist Bible, the Six Syllable Truth. One of the most powerful Tibetan emperors, Songtsan Gambo, also chose to build a nine storey castle there around the 7th century AD.

The park allows tourists to immerse themselves in Tibetan culture, providing them with glimpse of the ancient history that underscores the region today. Visitors leave with a profound impression of the Tibetan spirit, as well as the distinctive and glorious culture.

As she looked up at a huge 800 years old waterwheel, one university student from Chengdu exclaimed, "We could feast on the abundance of custom at the Niangre Folk-Custom Park, particularly the special Tibetan opera performed by the local county people."

The student only had 3 days to spend in Tibet, traveling as part of a group of 13. The whole group had opted to devote a whole day to exploring the Niangre Folk-Custom Park. She later said, "I think the Niangre Park is just like a small folk-custom museum. Tourists are really attracted to Tibet because of the culture."

The Niangre Folk-Custom Park received 30,000 tourists in 2005 but now more than 200 people visit the park every day. Altogether more than 50,000 people are expected to visit the park by the end of 2006, thanks to the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

Trade in the hotels in and around Lhasa is booming, thanks to Tibet's rising popularity as a tourist destination. Even the more remote hotels have been swamped by travelers seeking a more authentic experience as one visitor put it, "We can experience even more of the mystical Tibet culture when we stay in rural areas."

Editor: Wing