A Tibetan medicine culture festival opened in Mainling County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region yesterday.

The meaning of the county name "Mainling" is "land of medicine" in the Tibetan language. The environment around the county is very suitable for Tibetan medicinal materials.

The county has a long history of developing Tibetan medical science since the 8th century AD, and it is also home to the largest concentration of the Lhoba Ethnic Group in China. The local government decided to promote the folk culture and Tibetan medicine culture by holding this festival.

A cultural exchange conference on Tibetan medicine, an investment promotion conference for Tibetan medical enterprises, and free diagnoses for local people by Tibetan doctors will be held during the event.

The festival also is a part of the third Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon Tourism Festival, said officials from Tibet in Chengdu, Sichuan Province yesterday while they were attending the Western China International Economy & Trade Fair from May 24 - 28.

The joint tourism festival also includes other pre-festival events such as the first Nyingchi Ecological & Cultural Tourism Festival which is set to open on June 10, a self-driving traveling event in Tibet from July 15 to August 15, and the rafting event on the Yarlung Tsangpo River from September 11 to October 7. Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon Tourism Festival will officially open on October 13 and end on October 17 with several summit forums, folk tours, and photo exhibitions held.

A Tibetan woman performs the traditional ritual at the Tibetan medicine culture festival in Mainling county, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region on May 28, 2007. The festival kicked off Monday, wrapping the activities of Tibetan medicine communications and business-soliciting for Tibetan medicine enterprises etc.

Tibetan actors perform traditional dance at the Tibetan medicine culture festival in Mainling county, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region on May 28, 2007.

Doctors specilizing on Tibetan medicine give free examination for local people at the Tibetan medicine culture festival in Mainling county, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region on May 28, 2007.

(China.org.cn by Zhang Rui May 29, 2007)