About 90 percent of the tickets for a large-sized Tibetan song and dancing performance have been sold out by Thursday, about one week before the premiere, according to the preparation committee of China Tibetan Cultural Week in Hong Kong.

The performance will be presented by about 70 Tibetans from the Tibet Autonomous Region Song and Dance Ensemble next Wednesday and Thursday, said Mo Chishan, an official with the Leisure and Cultural Department of Hong Kong.

The Tibet Autonomous Regional Song and Dance Ensemble will first give an informal public performance free of charge on Sunday afternoon to allow those who could not afford the highly-priced tickets to enjoy the unique charm of Tibetan culture, Mo said.

China Tibetan Cultural Week will open on Friday and feature many other activities including a series of Buddhist rituals and exhibitions.

About ten living Buddhas will carry out religious rituals during the cultural week to pray for peace and stability and bring prosperity to the Buddhist believers.

The tickets to the rituals will be provided at 14 sites free of charge, and about 3,000 citizens have applied for the tickets, said Liang Wansi with the Hong Kong Buddhist Association.

Many elite Hong Kong scholars on Buddhism and respected Buddhist masters will be invited to discuss with the living Buddhas on the theme of "Buddhism and the construction of a harmonious society", Liang said.

Rare Tibetan cultural relics and tangkas, namely Tibetan scrollpaintings, will also be displayed during the cultural week.

The cultural week is jointly sponsored by the Information Office of the State Council, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the people's government of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

(Xinhua News Agency July 15, 2005)