An exhibition of paintings by Chinese Han and Tibetan artists started here on Monday, showing the sublime sceneries and traditional customs of China's Tibet.

Nyima Tsering, an artist from Tibet Autonomous Region of China, attends the Chinese and Italian artists cultural exchange conference in Rome, Italy, Oct. 24, 2009.

Entitled as "Snow-Covered Plateau -- Chinese Painting Works," the six-day exhibition features 58 paintings depicting the extraordinary landscape of Tibet and the region's social and economic development in past 50 years.

Before the opening ceremony, eight Chinese painting artists, half of them ethnic Tibetans, held a seminar with local artists, exchanging views on arts and cooperation.

The exhibition, held in central Milan, was sponsored by China's State Council Information Office and Artists Association, the Chinese Embassy in Italy and the Italy-China Foundation.