Lhasa offers the visitor a completely unique experience.It is unlike other parts of China，or indeed，other parts of Tibet.But like other tourist cities，it has a wealth of historical and cultural sites and shops，and a new urban center thatlights up at night for action seekers.Some worry that the operation of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway，and consequently，unprecedented development，will deprive Lhasa of many of its unique characteristics.
Mayor Norbu does not agree.He recently told the Southern Weekend newspaper，“Tibetan culture will be neither extinguished nor changed as a result of the railway，and Lhasa will not lose its urban characteristics because of the railway.”
He reasons that the market economy”is biased towards anything that’s unique，”just like Tibetan culture，which has attracted and fascinated countless tourists from home and broad.Rather than fade away，he reckons that Tibetan culture will grow even stronger.
Gonpo Zhaxi，secretary of the CPC Lhasa Municipal Committee，agrees with Norbu Dunzhub.“Development is the key to every solution，and protection is its prerequisite.We strive to achieve protection in the course of development，rathe than sacrificing development for the sake of protection.The task at hand is coordinating development and protection in upgrading Lhasa while maintaining its Tibetan characteristics.”
The latest statistics show that in the first half of 2006，Lhasa received 350000Chinese and foreign tourists，an increase of 103 percent over the same period of 2005.They brought with them tourism revenue of RMB 500 million（US $62.5 million），an increase of 79.3 percent over the same period last year.However，municipal administrators are keeping their calm amid the boom.”There will be nothing like a “transformation to the bone”in the renovation project of the old downtown area，nor will there be construction damages to this historic and cultural city in the course of municipal development，”vows Mayor Norbu Dunzhub.
The recently announced municipal construction plan under the 1lth Five Year Plan restricts the height，size and color of new buildings in the old city area so as to protect the ancient and traditional facade of this old part of Lhasa and stipulates that the municipal layout，cityscape and architectural style must highlight Tibetan characteristics.
