Ancient books of Aba recording its local history displayed at the exhibition. [Wang Kaihao/chinadaily.com.cn]

With a population of 920,000, Aba covers an area of 84,200 square kilometers in the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. The Tibetan ethnic group composes 53 percent of local residents, and the Qiang ethnic group make up for 18 percent. It is home to Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong, two UNESCO World Heritage sites.

In 2008, the area was severely hit by an earthquake.

An expo promoting local specialties and a trade fair aiming to attract more investments to the area are also being held in the same venue through Thursday.