The recently held "Shoton Star" youth singer contest during the Shoton Festival in August aroused the country's widespread concern for the development of Tibetan ethnic music in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

"The Tibetan music is wonderful and unique, which sounds from an ancient time but holds the power to lead me to the future spiritually", said a tourist from Beijing with feeling when he first heard the original Tibetan songs.

In fact, the Tibetan music is quite popular among Chinese people. A large number of Tibetan songs have emerged and well-known across China since the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, including Folk Song to the Party, Sky Road and Emancipated Serfs Sing Proudly.

Concerning the status, exploration, protection and inheritance of Tibetan music, experts across the country expressed their own opinions during a music summit held in Lhasa.

Music has its root growing from the earth. The original Tibetan music has developed on the high plateau for centuries, which is certainly the root of Tibetan music, said Zhu Zhizhong, director of Folk Music Professional Committee in Chinese Folk Artists Association.

"In an era of information exploration and diversification, we still had better stick to our root in ethnic music", Zhu added, "The original music culture can't be replaced."

The Tibetan songs have taken on a trend with more creations but less quality products since 2000, said He Xiaobing, professor in Communication University of China.

（Editor：陈丽丹、张茜）