Tibetans gather to watch meeting

The average altitude of China's highest township, Pumaqangtang, stands at 5,373 meters, with only 40 percent of the oxygen that people at sea level have.

The hot atmosphere in the township square, however, stood in contrast with the thin air as people gathered to watch the live broadcast of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Wednesday.

As the sun rose in the township in the Tibet autonomous region, 34 Party members, including officials, nomads and officers from border police stations, and some other residents had gathered. They held a flag-raising ceremony and danced "Guozhuang", a Tibetan bonfire dance, to celebrate the coming congress.