Bridges over the Lhasa River are pictured in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, July 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan)

LHASA, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- During the 1950s, the first bridge over the Lhasa River was built in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, ending the reliance on sheepskin rafts for river crossings. Nowadays, multiple bridges span the river across downtown Lhasa, reflecting the region's rapid progress in transportation and urban development.

This aerial drone photo taken on July 30, 2025 shows a bridge over the Lhasa River, in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan)

A stitched panoramic aerial drone photo taken on July 30, 2025 shows a bridge over the Lhasa River, in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan)

Bridges over the Lhasa River are pictured in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Aug. 1, 2025. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan)

A stitched panoramic aerial drone photo taken on July 30, 2025 shows bridges over the Lhasa River in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan)

This photo taken on July 30, 2025 shows a bridge over the Lhasa River, in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan)

This aerial drone photo taken on July 30, 2025 shows a bridge over the Lhasa River, in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)