shigatse, also named xigatse, means 'the fertile land'. covering an area of over 3875 square kilometers (about 1496 square miles), this frontier city is the second largest in tibet. it sits in the plain at the confluence of the yarlong tsangpo and nyangchu rivers, where tibet's most fertile land is to be found. with some thirteen ethnic groups including tibetan, hui and man, shigatse is a typical living area for minority nationalities. the population of shigatse city is 98,700 about 97% of which are tibetan. shigatse has a history going back more than 600 years and it is this ancient holy city that is the traditional seat of the panchen lama, one of the spiritual leaders in tibet. the city is also the cultural, economic and political center of tibet.

　　before the 1950s, shigatse remained in a primitive state in terms of its economy and its people's lifestyle. following reformation and the opening up to the modern world, a series of highways were built up such as the no.318 national highway and the china-nepal highway. these connect shigatse with the outside world while opening up the outside world to people in shigatse. nowadays, shigatse is an important tibetan communication hub and an air of modernization pervades the area. new industries including mechanics, chemicals and food production thrive here. meanwhile, the traditional handcrafts have been encouraged and expanded. products such as tibetan knives as well as items of silver and gold are sought after throughout china and are exported abroad.

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（实习编辑：高奕飞）