More than 1,300 business people from 25 countries and regions gathered in Xining, capital of northwest China's Qinghai province, on Saturday for the 2005 Qinghai Tibetan Carpet International Exhibition.

This year's exhibition, the second of the event, had 320 display booths, more than 70 of which are for foreign carpet makers from Pakistan, India, Nepal, Mongolia, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey and Japan.

The exhibition is scheduled to last thru Monday.

Qinghai Province, a major habitat to Tibetans besides the Tibet Autonomous Region in southwest, exported 15 million US dollars worth of carpet in 2004.

Tibetan carpets are renowned in the world for elegant, beautiful designs and excellent handicraft.

The exhibition was sponsored by the governments of Qinghai Province and the Tibet Autonomous Region, and the China Chamber of Commerce for Import/Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-products.

Source: Xinhua