The Tibet Association for Cultural Exchange With Foreign Countries and State departments concerned held a China Tibet Culture Week for three years running from 2001 to 2003. They showed the world the real Tibet.

The China Tibet Cultural Week in Australia and New Zealand: The China Association for Cultural Exchanges With Foreign Countries and the Tibetan Association for Cultural Exchanges With Foreign Countries held the Week in Melbourne and Sydney of Australia and Auckland of New Zealand. The Week featured displays of photos, documentaries, singing and dancing and movies. Photos and tangka paintings show the geographical conditions, history, tangka art, and tourism resources. Movies shown during the Week included Trip to Tibet, Yexei Zholma and Red River Valley. The Tibet Song and Dance Ensemble Troupe, which has performed in more than 50 countries and regions, gave a performance during the Week.

The China Tibet Cultural Week in Belgium and Canada: The China Association for Cultural Exchanges With Foreign Countries and the Tibetan Association for Cultural Exchanges With Foreign Countries staged the event in the two countries from September 7-27, 2002, the first of its kind ever held in Europe and North America. The Week featured show of photos and tangka paintings, as well as performances by Tibetan artists, exchanges between Living Buddha’s and movie shows. The 700-plus photos and 50 tangka paintings showed the beautiful landscape of Tibet, its long history, and social and economic development. Theatrical performances were very entertaining. Representatives of Tibetologists and Living Buddha’s briefed the audiences on the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and religious culture, and efforts made to protect culture and religious belief. Movies shown during Week included Red River Valley and Trip to Tibet.

The China Tibet Cultural Week in Thailand: The State Council Information Office, the government of the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Chinese embassy in Bangkok jointly held the 2003 China Tibet Culture Week in Thailand. This marked the first time the Chinese government had staged such an event in this country. It helped deepen the Thai people’s understanding of Tibet and fire the enthusiasm of the Thai people for a better understanding of Tibet. The Week featured a show of 80 photos and 10 tangka paintings, and movies and documentaries that show changes that have taken place in Tibet. Tibetologists and Living Buddha’s with the Week conducted exchanges with their Thai counterparts. The Week told stories of Tibet, its history, social progress, religious beliefs, cultural protection and Tibetan studies.

The Tibet Autonomous Region has since the 1980s had more and more contacts with the outside world through exchanges of visits, books and data, and by giving art performances and conducting academic seminars. This has strengthened Tibet’s cooperation with overseas cultural circles, scientific research institutions, and international organizations.

The Tibet Autonomous Regional Association for Cultural Exchanges With Foreign Countries has organized song and dance ensemble troupes and Tibetan opera troupes for performance tours to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Nepal and Singapore, as well as in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. It has also organized shows of cultural relics, movies, photos and art works in South Africa, Japan, Italy and Southeast Asia.