Tibetan photographic exhibition held in N Australia

DARWIN, Australia, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The Tibetan photographic exhibition was opened here on Monday with Chinese ambassador to Australia Zhang Junsai launching the opening ceremony.

Chinese Ambassador to Australia Zhang Junsai (2nd R) introduces to a  local visitor information about China's Tibet at a Tibetan photo  exhibition in Darwin, capital of Northern Territory of Australia,  June 1, 2009. The Tibetan photo exhibition was opened here on Monday,  displaying 84 photos depicting the changes of Tibet over the past 50  years. (Xinhua/Jiang Yaping)

At the opening ceremony, Ambassador Zhang told the audience that he was pleased to see that the photographic exhibition came to Darwin, the capital city of Northern Territory, after being held in national capital Canberra and Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia.

"Australians and other Westerners have a strong interest in Tibet, but for various reasons, the Western public does not really understand the history and reality in Tibet," said Zhang, adding he hoped the photo exhibition would bring the remote and beautiful Tibet close to Australians.

The photos themselves will tell people Tibet is an inalienable part of China since ancient times, and the snow land has taken great changes over the past 50 years, Zhang stressed.

Kon Vatskalis, Minister of Fishing, Resources and Health in Northern Territory government, said he was fascinated to see these beautiful pictures and was attracted by the changes undertaken over the past few decades. He said the photo display would help people understand more about Tibet and would even encourage local Australians to visit Tibet and China at large.

More than 80 photos, depicting the changes of the Tibetan people over the past 50 years, were displayed at the Chinese Society premise in Darwin. One of the organizers, Henry Yah of a local Chinese community society, told Xinhua the display would last for two weeks, and would show local people the history and present of Tibet.

Local people, including Chinese Australians, know little about Tibet, so this exhibition was important as it can help the local Chinese community know more about their motherland's history, said Yah.