If Tibet's mist-veiled altitudes have hitherto remained inaccessible to many, this autonomous Chinese region has now disclosed itself to Tibetologists and interested laymen alike at an easily accessible place like Rome.

Two days of presentation by participants from Australia, Austria, Belgium, India, Italy, Spain, the United States as well as China have offered data-based insight with due perspective into unveiling some of Tibet's mysteries.

This year coincided with the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 50th anniversary of the democratic reform in Tibet.

The 400 participants of the Rome Forum on Tibet easily converted the figures provided by a senior Tibet Autonomous Region official to an over 97-fold increase of annual per-capita income to 13,790.92 yuan or US$2,028 in his region between now and then.

With a greatly improved livelihood, the average life expectancy had almost doubled from 35.5 years to 67, according to Tibet Autonomous Region Vice President Duotuo, who himself is a Tibetan.

Before 1951, there was no regular school in Tibet. Now, it has 1,017 regular schools plus 1,110 regular teaching sites (for nomads) with a total enrollment of 550,000 students in various grades.

Juan Ignacio Preciado, a Tibetologist from Spain, agreed with Duotuo's summary of the changes in Tibet. He described the changes in Tibet's social system and ensuing economic construction as "very rapid, astonishing and remarkable."

The Spaniard, who has spent the past 14 years mingling with Tibetans by traveling through most parts of the autonomous region, added that the present situation of the Tibetan language was much better than the situation 50 years ago, when 90 percent of Tibetans were illiterate.

There were Tibetan language classes taught from kindergarten up through university with textbooks printed in the Tibetan script, Tibetologists from the autonomous region briefed the forum.

It was the autonomous region that had initiated and promoted the formal collection and compilation of the epic of King Gesar, also known as the Orient's Homeric epic, hitherto passed on through generations on a balladier- to- balladier basis, according to Tibet-born Tibetologist Duobujie.

Narasimhan Ram, a speaker from India which borders China's Tibet across the Himalayas, shed light on the Chinese origin of the mysterious region and refuted the claim made by Dalai Lama andhis followers.

Speakers from Belgium and the United States also made their points at the Rome forum to appeal for more enlightening presentations about Tibet for a better understanding of the region and its history and culture.

The Rome forum, co-sponsored by the State Council Information Office of China, the Italy-China Foundation of Italy and the Chinese Embassy in Italy, was a first response to the call by the Belgian Gustaaf Geeraerts and the American Luise Blouin.

Tibetologists and interested laymen held their first forum in Vienna in November 2007.

But this time around, the forum extended its presentation scope to include an action-oriented round-table. This would help forge cooperation in developing Tibet, whose mysteries are fading fast.

(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2009)