Source: CCTV.com

03-03-2009 08:39

On the southern bank of the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River lies Shannan prefecture, widely regarded as the birthplace of Tibetan culture. The place spawned a unique school of opera, the White-Faced Opera, which is generally believed to be the forerunner of Tibetan opera.

Tibetan opera encompass various schools of singing, but white-faced opera has always been held in the highest regard.

Tibetan opera encompass various schools of singing, but white-faced opera has always been held in the highest regard.

It was invented seven hundred years ago and has seen several variations since, including yellow-faced and blue-faced opera. What used to be a popular form of street singing, is the only genre of music permitted to be performed inside the Potala Palace.

In addition to Tibetan opera, Shannan prefecture is also home to Tibet's first palace, the Yumbu-Lha Khang Palace, one of the first Buddhist temples in Tibet. It also houses the Tradruk Temple and the first farming land. The culture can all be traced back to this sprawling sacred land.

Heading deeper into Qonggyai County, you can find Tibetan-style buildings flanking the streets, with the fragrant scent of butter tea wafting out of the houses. The Dawa Zhuogas have lived in the county for generations. Now they use solar power to boil water and a soybean milk machine to make butter tea.

Four years ago, Dawa Zhuoga cleaned up several vacant rooms to open an inn for tourists.

She also has an keen eye for business. Four years ago, Dawa Zhuoga cleaned up several vacant rooms to open an inn for tourists. Her success has now been copied by seven households in the prefecture, they're all doing brisk business at this tourist site.

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Editor:Zhao Yanchen