The Thangka Art Festival has been stealing the spotlight of the 4th China Tibet Tourism and Culture Expo on September 8, 2018, in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region. (Photo by CGTN)

The China Tibet Tourism and Culture Expo has opened in the country's western region and is showcasing traditional products. Tibetan culture is also being celebrated during the event.

Located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, also known as the Roof of the World, Tibet is a place where many come to seek inner peace. But for people living here, they're eager to go elsewhere and share their made-in-Tibet products and techniques. That is why hundreds of exhibitors have seized the chance at this year's Tibet tourism and culture expo.

For visitors, it's easy to be mesmerized by the hundreds of products on display, but it's the Thangka Art Festival that's been stealing the spotlight. Thangka master Norbu Sethar has been participating in the expo since the very beginning.

Kangzhu Qingcuo, founder and designer of Boba fashion brand, is the newcomer of China Tibet Tourism and Culture Expo in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region. (Photo by CGTN)

"Every time, the expo offered me an opportunity to promote the thangka art to more people from outside Tibet, as well as to share ideas with other masters around the world. As a Tibetan thangka inheritor, I feel proud of the art's growing popularity," said Norbu Sethar, president of Tibet Thangka Painting Academy.

The expansion of the expo has also provided opportunities for Tibetan start-ups in various fields including these Tibetan-style fashion brands. "This is our first time joining the expo, but we've already got customers to try on our dresses which combine the traditional Tibetan style with modern elements," said Kangzhu Qingcuo, founder and designer of Boba fashion brand.

Foreign exhibitors from five countries also joined the event, hoping this could act as an effective platform to enter the Chinese market. One Nepali businessman said that all of his four thousand carpets were sold at the expo two years ago.

Nepali businessmen promote their carpets at the 4th China Tibet Tourism and Culture Expo on September 8, 2018, in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region.(Photo by CGTN)

"This is my third time in Tibet. The first time is in 2015, and since then we continue to come, regarding it as a good opportunity to explore the Chinese market and to promote Nepali handicrafts. Our products and Tibetan products have similar design and culture," said Nepali Businessman Amar Shrestha.

This year, the expo's theme is traveling around China's new Tibet and protecting the Third Pole of the world. For the next four days, the biennial event, hosted by both Lhasa and Nyingchi, will offer visitors much more.