China opens world's highest railway to Tibet

China opened the first train service to Tibet on the world’s highest railway today, a controversial engineering marvel meant to bind the restive Himalayan region to China.

President Hu Jintao cut a giant red ribbon at a nationally-televised ceremony in the western city of Golmud as the first train left for the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. Musicians in Chinese and Tibetan costumes banged drums and cymbals as the train pulled out.