The Himalayas info - Tibet

Tibet

Tibet lies mainly to the north of the Himalayan watershed. The country is surprisingly large; roughly the size of France and Germany together. Most of the terrain in Tibet is very inhospitable. The average altitude of the plains is well over 3500m with mountains reaching over 7000m.

the Potala Palace, former residence of the Dalai Lama

The people were traditionally nomadic, guiding their yaks to summer pastures to find enough food. Agriculture is limited due to the harsh highland climate with barley as the most important crop. Tsampa the staple food of Tibet is made with roasted barley flour and yak butter. The towns and settlements were centres for trade and the countless monasteries spread around the country were places for contemplation.

A dramatic change came when the Chinese invaded Tibet in 1951. Thousands of Tibetans fled their country to start a life in exile. Chinese rule has been ruthless at times; enforcing their ways upon the Tibetans. An unknown number of Tibetans have died or suffered in jails for petty crimes against the 'motherland'. In 1959 the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet fled over high passes to exile in Dharamsala in northern India from where he heads the struggle for a free Tibet. The future prospects for the Tibetans are rather bleak at the moment with the Chinese firmly established in the region. The recent conflict concerning the new incarnation of the Panchen Lama and the Karmapa is just an example of the power struggle between the Chinese and the Tibetan people. The incarnation of the new Panchen Lama appointed by the Dalai Lama was kidnapped by the Chinese after they introduced their own candidate for the second most important religious leader of Tibet.

girls on the way from Kathmandu to Lhasa

Tibet has been open and closed on and off over the last decade, remaining a dream for many travellers. Much of what was destroyed during the 'cultural revolution', a period in China in the 1960's and 70's during which everything involving religion and culture was taboo, has been restored. An important reason for this was the hard currency brought in by tourists visiting the monasteries. For obvious reasons there is always a lot of discussion about whether one should visit Tibet as a traveller or not. As a whole it seems that the Tibetans are welcoming visitors in order to keep in touch with the world rather than isolating themselves. I made the overland trip from Kathmandu to Lhasa some years ago. The landscapes and people made an unforgettable impression on me and I sincerely hope that the situation in Tibet will improve in the years to come.

the Flag of a free Tibet

click the image to see a map of the region

click here for a Tibet image gallery

Much more can be found at the World2C Himalayas CD ROM

click the image to find out more

all images on this site are available from: www.travel-pictures-gallery.com