A rehearsal parade has been held in Southwest China's Lhasa city to mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

It's a rehearsal for the real parade which will be held on September 1.

Amongst the colorful prayer flags, Tibetan performers dressed in traditional costume danced in the Potala Palace square, to display Tibet's development over the last four decades.

Director of the parade. Danzengciren gave a brief introduction to the rehearsal.

"To show the great changes taken place in Tibet, various performances will be held and almost six thousand people will participate in a one-hour long parade."

Dramatic changes have taken place since the establishment of the region in 1965. Statistics show Tibet's GDP has grown nearly 13 per cent for the last four years in a row, with rising life expectancy and better education and health provisions.

(Photo Source: 163.com)