LHASA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- A photograph exhibition opened Friday in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, to show the region's changes over the past 40 years through the lens.

The exhibition, named after the world's highest mountain Qomolangma, displays a total of 540 black-and-white and colored photos comparing Tibet's past and present after China's reform and opening up in the late 1970s.

A picture taken by photographer Ador in 1981 shows a six-member family sitting around a black-and-white television, waiting for their favorite drama series.

In the early 1980s, television started entering ordinary Tibetan homes. Watching television became a main choice of entertainment and an important way to get information.

Next to this photo is a picture by photographer Tenzin Shidan in 2015. It portrays Tibetan people sitting in front of computers, surfing the internet and playing online games. Tibet has entered the information age.

The photographers also recorded the past and present Barkhor, a bustling market street in the heart of Lhasa. Bikes have been replaced by motorbikes and cars, and telephone booths have been replaced by mobile phones.

"Tibet has experienced tremendous changes after the reform and opening up. It's hard to show how much it has changed in a few sentences. Photography is the most direct way to record these changes," said Wangchug Dorje, president of the Tibet Photographers Association.

The Qomolangma Photographic Exhibition has been held for 11 years, displaying around 5,000 photos collected from China and foreign countries.