To mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Tibet Autonomous Region, the Chinese Embassy in India held a grand photographic exhibition titled "Tibet: A Snowy Plateau" on September 16 in the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi, India. More than 200 people were present at the opening ceremony of the exhibition, including Dr. K.K. Chakravarty, Member Secretary of IGNCA (Vice-Ministerial level official), H.E. Mr. Sun Yuxi, Chinese Ambassador to India, Dr. B.N. Singh, President of Unity International Foundation and former Governor, personages from Industries and commerce, culture and other walks of life, dean of diplomatic corps and foreign diplomats in India. Mr. Sun Yuxi and Dr. B.N. Singh jointly lighted the lamp for the inauguration and delivered speeches respectively.

Ambassador Sun Yuxi said that he has just been to Lhasa to attend the ceremony for the 40th anniversary of the establishment of TAR. Since the establishment of TAR in 1965, the TAR people built their home diligently and their living standards were improved step by step. Great changes have taken place in the urban and rural areas. Facts speak louder than words. The pictures exhibited will reflect the great changes in the past 40 years in Tibet. He also welcomed Indian people to visit TAR.

Dr. K.K. Chakravarty said in his speech that since India borders on TAR in geography, India and TAR had a long history of friendly exchange in the fields of border trade, traditional medicines, religion study and the maintenance of species diversity. He believed this momentum would be kept and developed further.

Dr. B.N. Singh, President of the Unity International Foundation and former governor also delivered a speech at the inauguration. He said India had frequent exchanges with TAR. This exhibition provided a precious opportunity for Indian visitors to know more about the development of TAR. India and TAR had much commonality ground in the fields of religion and culture. Promoting bilateral cultural exchanges would be conductive to strengthening the understanding and friendship between India and China.

The photographic exhibition is the first-ever cultural activity with TAR as its theme held by the Chinese Embassy in India outside the Embassy. The exhibition consists of two parts, i.e. "Tibet in Development" and "Tibet in the Eyes of Foreign Photographers". 80 pictures are on show. The pictures, especially those selected from the works of famous photographers from the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Canada and Netherlands show the reality of the age-old, beautiful, mystical and fast developing TAR and its unique cultures and customs from different angles. The pictures received broad interests and high praise of the visitors. The pictures will be exhibited for one week in New Delhi, capital of India.