A two-hour show of Tibetan folk dances and songs was staged at the Hong Kong Cultural Center Wednesday night, unveiling the mystery of the snow-covered plateau to an eager local audience.

The performance, a showcase of Tibetan culture, religion, history and custom through traditional dances, costumes, instruments and music, drew about 1,500 Hong Kong people keen to have a close understanding of the high-altitude region, dubbed "roof of the world."

The show was presented by the Tibet Autonomous Region Song and Dance Troupe and will also run on Thursday night.

Local residents have shown much enthusiasm for the performance. According to the Leisure and Cultural Department of Hong Kong, over 90 percent of the tickets had already been sold out one week before the premiere.

The show formed part of the Tibet Culture Week activities, which are being held in Hong Kong from July 15 to 21 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Other programs of the week-long event include a large exhibition of Tibetan cultural relics, a Buddhist symposium and religious rituals conducted by the Living Buddhas.

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 21, 2005)