Exploring Tibet

by+Zhu+Xingxin

For most visitors to Tibet， altitude sickness is a major challenge. Medications that offer relief and oxygen carriers become visitors best friends. I grew up in Chinas southeastern province of Fujian where the average elevation measures less than 100 meters. To prepare for my first trip to Tibet， the highest place on earth with an average elevation of 4，900 meters， I first visited neighboring Qinghai. The next day， I left Qinghais capital Xining for Lhasa， which lies 3，700 meters above sea level.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is called the “Third Pole” of the world. In 1965， the Tibet Autonomous Region was officially established. This September will mark its 50th anniversary and celebrations will be held in Lhasa then in commemoration. To prepare， I went to Tibet as a journalist in March and stayed for a whole week.

Tibetans excel at singing and dancing， and dancers can be found almost everywhere. Zongjiao Lukang Park， at the foot of Potala Palace in Lhasa， is a popular morning exercise spot for locals. Many can be seen there dancing guozhuang， one of the major local dances which means “singing and dancing in a circle” in Tibetan， or dancing to some popular Chinese internet music meme such as “Little Apple.”Around them are pious Tibetan Buddhists holding prayer wheels and practicing religious activities， creating a fascinating contrast. Such a scene was beyond imagination only 50 years ago.

Many places in Tibet are worth visiting. During my short trip， I also visited Namtso， a holy lake to Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims and a tourist destination near Lhasa. The holy lake attracts Tibetan Buddhists year-round. Since this year is the Year of the Sheep according to the Tibetan calendar， many pilgrims come to circumambulate the lake. Tibetans maintain the tradition of circumambulating holy lakes in the Year of the Sheep and circumambulating holy mountains in the Year of the Horse. According to Tibetan Buddhism， circumambulating Namtso in the Year of the Sheep brings sin forgiveness and retribution， and counts as much as ten thousand circles at other times.

On my last night in Lhasa， I went to Barkor Street. As night fell， I could still see pilgrims prostrating in prayer in front of Jokhang Monastery， one of the most sacred monasteries in Tibet. I went into a restaurant called Makye Ame and ordered a bowl of porridge and highland barley wine. In the restaurant that serves cuisine from Tibet， India， and Nepal， I found many visitors logs filled with international touristscomments about Tibet.

In recent years， the central government has invested a total of 380 million yuan to preserve and repair Tibets major cultural relics such as the Potala Palace， Norbulingka， and Sakya Monastery. According to the white paper on the development of Tibet， the autonomous region is now home to a total of 1，787 religious venues with 46，000 resident monks and nuns. Trandruk Monastery， which was constructed in 641， left a deep impression on me. The monastery was built after Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty （618-907） married Tubo King Songtsan Gampo 1，300 years ago. Locals assert that the princess stayed and practiced Buddhism there and that the pan and stove she used can be still found in the monastery today. Its no surprise that Tibetans believe that Tibets scenery is found along the road and its culture is preserved in the monasteries.

The week passed too quickly. Although the headaches and suffocating feelings of altitude sickness are hard to forget in the short term， I am still looking forward to returning to Tibet. I hope to better understand locals lives and record them with my camera.