(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-06-25 22:29

LHASA  -- Tibet greeted its first foreign tourists, a Swedish couple, on Wednesday, marking the full opening of Tibet to all overseas and domestic tour groups after a stoppage of more than three months following the March 14 riot in the regional capital of Lhasa.

The couple, 77-year-old Kurt Persson and 62-year-old Eva Sandstrom, arrived in Lhasa late Wednesday afternoon by air from the northwestern Chinese city of Xi'an, the hometown of the famous terracotta warriors.

It was the first time for the couple to visit the autonomous region. They were very excited while being presented with hada, a long piece of silk used as a traditional greeting gift in Tibet, at the Xungbala Hotel near the Jokhang Temple.

"That's fantastic!" said the woman, while pointing to the Potala Palace through the window of the hotel room. "We've been looking forward to visiting Tibet for many years. Its monasteries and landscapes are fascinating."

Sandstrom was aware they were the first foreign tourists after the riot that killed 19, but they took it easy.

"We have no worries about the safety here. It's no problem. The only worry was to get the permission to come to Tibet. We heard that the Tibetan people are kind and friendly."

Persson added they had looked up many documents related to Tibet prior to the trip.

"I would like to share my feelings with you a few days later, when our trip is over," he told Xinhua.

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