A photo exhibition on Tibet opened here on Friday, providing a window for Cypriots to better understand the past and present of the Chinese autonomous region.

The exhibition, entitled "Tibet of China: Past and Present", is jointly sponsored by the international department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese embassy in Cyprus and Cyprus' ruling Progressive Party of the Working People.

The exhibition consists of four sections -- History of Tibet, Serfdom in Tibet, Emancipation of Serfs and Tibet Today.

"The exhibition is impressive," said Cypriot education and culture minister Andreas Demetriou.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Demetriou said the photos vividly display the tremendous changes in China's Tibet, a place which has kept its customs and traditions while making social progress.

Misguided by the propaganda of the Dalai Clique and some anti-China forces advocating the so-called "Tibetan independence", many foreigners have got a twisted picture of Tibet, the exhibition's organizers said.

Chinese Ambassador to Cyprus Zhao Yali expressed hope that the exhibition will help Cypriots get a better understanding of Tibet, its past and present, thus further boosting the friendly relationship between the two countries.

(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2009)