Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) on Thursday hosted a Chinese photo gallery on TAZARA and China-Africa friendship.

At the launching ceremony at TAZARA Dar es Salaam Station, Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Liu Xinsheng extended his congratulation to the success of holding Xinhua Gallery at TAZARA Dar es Salaam Station.

The Chinese ambassador expressed the belief that the gallery is sure to enhance the traditional bilateral friendship founded by China's late Chairman Mao Zedong and Tanzania's late President Julius Nyerere and make more and more people acknowledge the history of TAZARA and China-Africa friendship.

The friendly ties between China and Tanzania have been constantly consolidated with closer political, economic and people- to-people bilateral exchanges under the fostering of generations of leaders of both countries, said Liu.

For his part, Damas Ndumbaro, TAZARA deputy managing director, said the display of a catalogue of pictures from China's Xinhua News Agency, which depict various scenes and moments in the rich history of TAZARA, "have added color and a tourist dimension to our station, which in itself is in fact a tourist attraction".

"Undoubtedly, TAZARA has a rich history which is unique and incomparable to any other in the world and these pictures are a testimony to that fact, " Ndumbaro said, expressing the hope that the treasure of TAZARA facts which most people are not aware of could be brought out through these pictures for the public to appreciate.

On behalf of the management of TAZARA, he expressed thanks to Xinhua News Agency for the splendid initiative to organize this gallery, which has been done just at the right time when TAZARA is reaching the prime age of 35 years since commercial operations began in 1976.

Organized by Xinhua News Agency Dar es Salaam Bureau with the support from the Chinese embassy to Tanzania, TAZARA, and the Tanzanian Ministry of Transport, Xinhua Gallery at TAZARA Dar es Salaam Station consists of 35 pictures on TAZARA and China-Africa Friendship.

The Gallery aims to promote the history of TAZARA and China- Africa friendship, as well as enhance people-to-people exchanges.

Earlier, TAZARA Managing Director Akashambatwa Mbikusita- Lewanika told Xinhua that TAZARA is expecting to expand transport capacity with new locomotives and cargo train coaches aided by China, while TAZARA has a great deal of advantages, such as more cost-effective than any other road, regional links and links with Dar es Salaam Port to serve as regional hubs, as well as policy flexibility of both governments of Tanzania and Zambia for partnerships with public and private enterprises.

Constructed with the Chinese assistance in the early 1970s and officially transferred to the governments of Tanzania and Zambia on July 14, 1976, the 1860.5 km-long TAZARA was originally planned to offer landlocked Zambia with a free outlet to the Indian Ocean for its copper exports. It still plays an important role in promoting the regional economic development nowadays.