BEIJING Aug. 12 --If Buddhist temples and stunning scenery are all that come to mind when you think of Tibet, a visit to a new photo exhibition might broaden your horizons and leave you breathless.

    Images captured through the lenses of 100 renowned photographers from home and abroad reflect the region's natural grandeur in all its majesty as well as the stark reality of daily life.

    The exhibition, at the Cultural Palace of the Nationalities in Beijing, is part of celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region. "China's Tibet History, Reality and Nature" features 700 photographs chosen from more than 150,000.

    Zhu Weiqun, secretary-general of the China Association for Preservation and Development of Tibetan Culture, said at the opening ceremony yesterday that the exhibition allows a glimpse of Tibet for those who have not experienced its unique culture and splendid natural scenery, presenting a true picture of today's Tibet.

    During their 15-day visit, photographers shot not only natural scenery, religious sites and folk culture but also development activity and the daily lives of ordinary Tibetans.

    The photographers went to more than 100 places in the cities of Lhasa and Xigaze, and Shannan, Nyingchi and Nagqu prefectures.

    "After I came to Tibet, I feel strongly that Europeans' understanding of Tibet is not good, and there are a lot of misunderstandings among them," said Jansen Jan, a photographer from the Netherlands. "I was impressed by the religious freedom enjoyed by the Tibetan people."

    (Source: China Daily)