American fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) sets foot in southwest China's Tibet on Tuesday, becoming the first Western fast food chain giant to open a branch in the region.

KFC opens its first branch in Lhasa, Tibet's capital, in the Shenli Shidai shopping center, with the hope of attracting consumers that long to taste what Western fast food chains have to offer.

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The opening of the first KFC branch in Tibet was welcomed by residents, as locals were seen forming long lines in the restaurant on its first day.

Tibetian kids were also seen posing for photo in front of the KFC store, according to a report by the official Xinhua news agency.

Shenli Shidai shopping center manager Chen Biao expects KFC to be popular not just with the people of Tibet but also with foreign tourists.

""Other fast food brands operating in Tibet over the past few years have showed people here have a big appetite for fried chicken and hamburgers," said Chen.

Although the store is a first for KFC in Tibet, the American fast food chain giant is not new to the Chinese market.

The fast food chain entered China in 1987 and now has more than 5,000 stores in over 1,100 cities and towns in the Chinese mainland. It was the first Western fast food company in China after its first outlet opened in Qianmen, Beijing in November 1987.

The operation was a joint venture, with a 60 percent stake held by KFC, 27 percent by the Beijing Tourist Bureau and 13 percent by Beijing Food Production. In early 1988, Bank of China took a 25 percent stake in the venture, and KFC's original stake was diluted to 51 percent.

KFC's entry into Tibet underscores the region's improving infrastructure, which has been attracting domestic and overseas brands.

TagsKFC, KFC China, KFC Tibet