nd TV Department of Tibet Autonomous Region Zhang Xiaoping, asking about every detail of television broadcasting and video making. Chen Hanchang was a man of letters, with a solid theoretical foundation and being skillful in Chinese brush writing. The man, gentle and nice, then looked quite serious on his face. Both Chen Hanchang and Zhang Xiaoping married a Tibetan woman. Chen Hanchang used to be the first general manager of the Tibet Civil Aviation Company and the secretary-general of Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee of the CPC. While Zhang Xiaoping came to Tibet several times as a journalist of the Central People's Radio and one of the reporters accompanying the Chinese mountaineering team in climbing Mt.Qomolangma. In 1994, Zhang, over 50, voluntarily moved to work in Tibet in support of local development. Since his wife grew up in the Barkhor Street in downtown Lhasa, Zhang considered Tibet his second hometown.

Placed on the wooden platform was a Tibetan-style sofa facing the statue of Sakyamuni. Sitting there facing the east were Luo Gan, representative of the State Council and state councilor who had undertaken the special journey to Tibet to preside over the ceremony, Gyaltsen Norbu, special commissioner of the State Council and chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Government; and Ye Xiaowen, special commissioner of the State Council and director of its Religious Affairs Bureau.

It was the second time for Luo Gan to come to Tibet. Previously, he came to Xigaze to preside over the funeral ceremony for the 10th Panchen Lama and the enchantment ceremony of his funerary stupa.

Representatives from all ethnic groups and various religious sects at the lots-drawing ceremony were all influential. The seating of these guests on each side of the wooden platform was arranged after serious deliberation.

On the left side were seated political and Party leaders facing the north.

Among them were Chen Kuiyuan, secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee of the CPC, Raidi, deputy secretary of the Standing Committee of Tibet Autonomous Region and chairman of Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Congress, Hu Yongzhu, political commissar of Tibet Military Area Command.

On the right side were seated 44 eminent monks facing the north.

They included Bumi Qambalozhub, chairman of the Chinese Buddhists Association Tibet Branch, Pagbalha Geleg Namgyai, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Political Consultative Conference and vice chairman of the Chinese Buddhists Association, and Shengqin Losang Gyeltshen, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Congress and Living Buddha of the Tashilhunpo Monastery.

Well-known figures passed us from time to time. When the twelve-year-old 17th Living Buddha Garmaba and