TIBET: APRIL 2001 Back to Main Tibet Page
A Few Facts Population: 2,200,000* Capital: Lhasa 1,200,000 sq km* (463,000 square miles) about the size of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona combined Average altitude 14,000 feet Highest mountain: Chomo Langma - Mt. Everest, 29,028 feet Money: Chinese Yuan (also called RMB), roughly 8 RMB to 1 US$ Languages: Tibetan, Mandarin (official language) Staple food: Tsampa - roasted barley flour National drink: Yak butter tea Please note that the population and area figures above reflect what China today refers to as Tibet -- the Tibet Autonomous Region or TAR. Tibet traditionally included twice as much land and three times as many people. In 1965 China split off more than half of Tibet and reallocated it among five Chinese provinces. Thus the "Tibet Government in Exile" (see below) puts the land area at 2,500,000 sq km and the population of Tibetans at about 6,000,000. Commentary on Tibet* My trip to Tibet 7-16 April was a high both figuratively and literally: Lhasa's altitude is 12,000 feet, and we went on a trip that crossed two 17,000 foot peaks. Mt. Everest is under 200 miles from Lhasa and is half in Tibet and half in Nepal. Tibet traces its history as a nation back to the 600s. At that time it began trading with both China and India, and Tibetan Buddhism, based on Indian Mahayana Buddhism, started. Buddhist monks (Dalai Lamas) were both political and religious heads of state until 1950, when China invaded. The Chinese put down heavy resistance, which continued for the next nine years until, finally, in 1959, the Dalai Lama fled to India. The Chinese claim they had poltical control of Tibet since the early 1700s, and it was only after the British colonialists arrived in 1904 that they lost their influence. Some Tibetans (particularly many who have emigrated elsewhere) claim that, even today, the political and religious head of state is the Dalai Lama. There is today a "Tibet Government in Exile" based in India. In the past few months, the Dalai Lama (now age 76) has hinted that he might split off his political power and retain religious leadership, perhaps as a way to gain Chinese acceptance (though he has said simply that he is getting too old to do both). China has granted Tibet regional autonomy, but at the same time has garrisoned thousands of troops there and has resettled tens of thousands of ethnic Chinese into Tibet. Along with the Tibetan langugage, Mandarin is taught and spoken in Lhasa, the capital. Elsewhere in Tibet, Chinese isn't used much. Cuisine is distinctly non-Chinese, with barley the staple starch, not rice, and yak the main meat. Yoghurt is popular, as are winter vegetables. Lots of chilis are used. National drink is hot tea with yak butter rather than milk. The Tibetan people do not look Chinese at all, but rather Mexican or Peruvian, except the Tibetans are tall. Tibetans keep their black hair oiled and rarely bathe (many never in their entire lives). Most Tibet people are extremely friendly to Westerners. Many children will come up and say hello, how are you, what is your name. Children are taught Tibetan, Mandarin, and English. I went on this trip with my friends Arlene and Bob from Toronto. Ironically, after searching the Internet for web sites offering trips to Tibet, the company that seemed best organised was located in Toronto! We were very satisfied with the arrangements they made, which included hotels, all meals, a sturdy if old Toyota land cruiser (jeep), and an excellent guide (Sam) and driver (Bema) for the entire trip. Plus, of course, a complete itinerary of sightseeing. Sam, incidentally, was born and raised in Lhasa but is ethnic Chinese. His family had fled there from Chengdu at the time of the communist revolution in China in 1949, when his grandparents -- wealthy business people and landowners -- were killed by the revolutionaries. Interestingly, you cannot fly into Lhasa from Beijing or Shanghai, only from Chengdu, population 10 million, capital of the province of Sichuan in west China. We stayed two nights in Chengdu -- it could easily be a destination on its own -- and visited the Monastery of Divine Light (1671, 13 storey pagoda, outside Chengdu in Xindu), Wenshu Temple (17th c., four halls and a tea house, Zen buddhist), Temple of Marquis Wu (Wuhou Ci, constructed 420-589 AD), Tomb of Wang Jiang (907-960 AD), several antiques markets, and the Giant Panda Research Centre (principal Panda breeding centre in China, home of the Pandas that recently went to the National Zoo in Washington). Chengdu is definitely worth returning to on its own. Because it is the only flat piece of land in the area, the Lhasa airport is 90km away from Lhasa. To help prevent altitude sickness, we all took a medicine called Diamoxin -- 250mg twice a day starting two days before arrival and continuing for two days after arrival. It worked for all of us, though we all experienced the strange tingling in our hands that Diamoxin causes. Our hotel in Lhasa (the Xiang Bala) was about Holiday Inn standard - better than I expected -- and perfectly located in the old Tibetan quarter. I think we were the only guests for the first three days, and we were alone in the dining room, served by at least five waitresses plus several kitchen staff. We dined sitting on couches rather than chairs, and there was a high chest for a table. We had a fixed menu, which meant about 15 dishes per meal -- far more than we could eat. We tried various ways to get them to reduce the quantities, without much success. Lots of yak meat, tongue, chicken, pork, potatoes, dumplings, soup (alone it could have been a meal), cabbage, carrots, green beans, fried yoghurt, squash, several kinds of bread, rice. Dessert was generally fruit and a bowl of yoghurt. The hotels in Shigatze and Gyantze were clean but about two-star class. No central heating, but you can request an electric heater. Principal sights in Lhasa Potala Palace. Built 17th century, is a magnificent palace-fortress complex atop a hill in downtown Lhasa. The palace runs 360 metres (1200') east to west and 140 metres (460') north to south and stands 115 metres (380') high. Its layout is complex, but basically consists of multiple levels of abutting rectangular buildings. There are more than 1,000 rooms of varying size covering more than 90,000 square metres (nearly 1,000,000 square feet). Walls 16 feet (5 metres) thick. Over 200,000 statues. Eight past Dalai Lamas are buried here. The palace was the Dalai Lama's residence from which he administered religious and political affairs and is the repository of a great wealth of historic and cultural relics. The red part of the building is religious, the white part political. Chinese government troops guarded the Potala during the cultural revolution to prevent destruction (over 5,000 other Buddhist temples in Tibet were destroyed). Jokhang Temple. Holiest shrine in Tibet, built 647 AD, spiritual centre of Tibet. Destination of thousands of pilgrims from all over Tibet arriving each day on a once-in-a-lifetime journey (some crawl their way to Jokhang). In front, people lay prostrate. People in all sorts of colourful dress, twirling prayer wheels and fingering rosary-type beads, walk in circular pilgrim trails both outside and inside the temple. Inside there are many chapels, the holiest of which is the chapter of Jowo Sakyamuni (Buddha) with a carving of Sakyamuni at age 12 said to be self-carved. Ani Tsangkung Nunnery. There are nuns as well as monks in Tibetan Buddhism, but this is the last surviving nunnery. Barkhor Bazaar and Square. Thousands of stalls, mostly religious artefacts and antiques. There is a constant flow of pilgrims and worshippers walking clockwise around the bazaar (takes perhaps 30-40 minutes for one trip). Tromzikhang Market. Foodstuffs, including lots of yak butter. There are 1,200 stalls, three-fourths run by Chinese and the rest by Tibetans and Muslims. Norbulingka Palace. The current Dalai Lama's summer home (now a museum), along with palaces for several other Dalai Lamas. Sera Monastery. Built 1419, college and temple. In 1959 had 7,000 monks, today 300. Daily young monks in maroon robes debate in the courtyard for two hours, open to the public. Drepung Monastery. Largest monastery in Tibet, built 15th c. Had 10,000 monks in 1959, now only 300 (most fled with Dalai Lama to India). Was home of Dalai Lama before Potala was built, so Drepung was both a political and religious centre. Today four colleges. Nechung Monastery. Home of Tibet state oracle (protector of the government). 8th c. Today 115 monks. Blue Buddha. Large Buddhist carvings on a stone mountain from 700 A.D. Shigatze (Xigatze) The drive from Lhasa to Shigatze took six or seven hours, following along the Bramaputra river, which flows 2,000 miles down into Bangladesh and India. We drove in a valley between spectacular mountains, many snow covered. Tashilhunpo Monastery. Seat of the Panchen Lama, built 1447. Once had 4,000 monks, today 600. Floor space of 30,000 square metres (325,000 square feet). Shigatze Market. There's quite a large market in Shigatze selling foodstuffs and artefacts. Otherwise, the town is not especially attractive, with many new 2 or 3 storey nondescript buildings constructed since the Chinese takeover. Gyantze (265km from Lhasa) Gyantze Dzong Castle. Here British under Younghusband in 1904 salughtered 800 Tibetans and captured Tibet as a British colony, where it remained until 1950. Pelchor Chode Monastery. 1414. Kumbum Stupa. 9 storeys. The drive from Gyantze to Lhasa took the better part of a day on a dirt road carved into the sides of mountains, alternately ascending and descending, generally one car width, no guardrails, often with drops of several hundred feet, spectacular mountain views, no vegetation, just rocks. Other sights Lake Yamdrok Tso. Holy Lake. Spectacular mirror effects. Farm visit. Our guide asked if we wanted to visit a farm, and of course we said yes. He just stopped at one we were driving by and asked the owner if we could go in the house. It was surrounded by a wall of whitewashed adobe brick. Inside the wall were animals and yak dung drying for fuel. Inside the house: Dirt floors, no electricity. Storage shelves at entrance with blankets for winter. First room is a Buddhist shrine. Main room is kitchen (wood stove in centre), dining room, and bedroom for family of four. No toilet inside or out (just use the woods). No bath (most Tibetans never bathe). Other stuff Tibet has 3,000 hours of bright sunshine a year -- that is roughly 8 hours every day! Because of the dryness of the air, there is not a lot of snow in Lhasa (just two or three times a year). Rainy season is June to September, almost none the rest of the year.

TIBET: APRIL 2001

A Few Facts

Population: 2,200,000*
Capital: Lhasa
1,200,000 sq km* (463,000 square miles) about the size of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona combined
Average altitude 14,000 feet
Highest mountain: Chomo Langma - Mt. Everest, 29,028 feet
Money: Chinese Yuan (also called RMB), roughly 8 RMB to 1 US$
Languages: Tibetan, Mandarin (official language)
Staple food: Tsampa - roasted barley flour
National drink: Yak butter tea

*Please note that the population and area figures above reflect what China today refers to as Tibet -- the Tibet Autonomous Region or TAR. Tibet traditionally included twice as much land and three times as many people. In 1965 China split off more than half of Tibet and reallocated it among five Chinese provinces. Thus the "Tibet Government in Exile" (see below) puts the land area at 2,500,000 sq km and the population of Tibetans at about 6,000,000.

Commentary on Tibet

My trip to Tibet 7-16 April was a high both figuratively and literally: Lhasa's altitude is 12,000 feet, and we went on a trip that crossed two 17,000 foot peaks. Mt. Everest is under 200 miles from Lhasa and is half in Tibet and half in Nepal.

Tibet traces its history as a nation back to the 600s. At that time it began trading with both China and India, and Tibetan Buddhism, based on Indian Mahayana Buddhism, started. Buddhist monks (Dalai Lamas) were both political and religious heads of state until 1950, when China invaded. The Chinese put down heavy resistance, which continued for the next nine years until, finally, in 1959, the Dalai Lama fled to India. The Chinese claim they had poltical control of Tibet since the early 1700s, and it was only after the British colonialists arrived in 1904 that they lost their influence. Some Tibetans (particularly many who have emigrated elsewhere) claim that, even today, the political and religious head of state is the Dalai Lama. There is today a "Tibet Government in Exile" based in India. In the past few months, the Dalai Lama (now age 76) has hinted that he might split off his political power and retain religious leadership, perhaps as a way to gain Chinese acceptance (though he has said simply that he is getting too old to do both).

China has granted Tibet regional autonomy, but at the same time has garrisoned thousands of troops there and has resettled tens of thousands of ethnic Chinese into Tibet. Along with the Tibetan langugage, Mandarin is taught and spoken in Lhasa, the capital. Elsewhere in Tibet, Chinese isn't used much. Cuisine is distinctly non-Chinese, with barley the staple starch, not rice, and yak the main meat. Yoghurt is popular, as are winter vegetables. Lots of chilis are used. National drink is hot tea with yak butter rather than milk.

The Tibetan people do not look Chinese at all, but rather Mexican or Peruvian, except the Tibetans are tall. Tibetans keep their black hair oiled and rarely bathe (many never in their entire lives). Most Tibet people are extremely friendly to Westerners. Many children will come up and say hello, how are you, what is your name. Children are taught Tibetan, Mandarin, and English.

I went on this trip with my friends Arlene and Bob from Toronto. Ironically, after searching the Internet for web sites offering trips to Tibet, the company that seemed best organised was located in Toronto! We were very satisfied with the arrangements they made, which included hotels, all meals, a sturdy if old Toyota land cruiser (jeep), and an excellent guide (Sam) and driver (Bema) for the entire trip. Plus, of course, a complete itinerary of sightseeing. Sam, incidentally, was born and raised in Lhasa but is ethnic Chinese. His family had fled there from Chengdu at the time of the communist revolution in China in 1949, when his grandparents -- wealthy business people and landowners -- were killed by the revolutionaries.

Interestingly, you cannot fly into Lhasa from Beijing or Shanghai, only from Chengdu, population 10 million, capital of the province of Sichuan in west China. We stayed two nights in Chengdu -- it could easily be a destination on its own -- and visited the Monastery of Divine Light (1671, 13 storey pagoda, outside Chengdu in Xindu), Wenshu Temple (17th c., four halls and a tea house, Zen buddhist), Temple of Marquis Wu (Wuhou Ci, constructed 420-589 AD), Tomb of Wang Jiang (907-960 AD), several antiques markets, and the Giant Panda Research Centre (principal Panda breeding centre in China, home of the Pandas that recently went to the National Zoo in Washington). Chengdu is definitely worth returning to on its own.

Because it is the only flat piece of land in the area, the Lhasa airport is 90km away from Lhasa. To help prevent altitude sickness, we all took a medicine called Diamoxin -- 250mg twice a day starting two days before arrival and continuing for two days after arrival. It worked for all of us, though we all experienced the strange tingling in our hands that Diamoxin causes.

Our hotel in Lhasa (the Xiang Bala) was about Holiday Inn standard - better than I expected -- and perfectly located in the old Tibetan quarter. I think we were the only guests for the first three days, and we were alone in the dining room, served by at least five waitresses plus several kitchen staff. We dined sitting on couches rather than chairs, and there was a high chest for a table. We had a fixed menu, which meant about 15 dishes per meal -- far more than we could eat. We tried various ways to get them to reduce the quantities, without much success. Lots of yak meat, tongue, chicken, pork, potatoes, dumplings, soup (alone it could have been a meal), cabbage, carrots, green beans, fried yoghurt, squash, several kinds of bread, rice. Dessert was generally fruit and a bowl of yoghurt.

The hotels in Shigatze and Gyantze were clean but about two-star class. No central heating, but you can request an electric heater.

Principal sights in Lhasa

Potala Palace. Built 17th century, is a magnificent palace-fortress complex atop a hill in downtown Lhasa. The palace runs 360 metres (1200') east to west and 140 metres (460') north to south and stands 115 metres (380') high. Its layout is complex, but basically consists of multiple levels of abutting rectangular buildings. There are more than 1,000 rooms of varying size covering more than 90,000 square metres (nearly 1,000,000 square feet). Walls 16 feet (5 metres) thick. Over 200,000 statues. Eight past Dalai Lamas are buried here. The palace was the Dalai Lama's residence from which he administered religious and political affairs and is the repository of a great wealth of historic and cultural relics. The red part of the building is religious, the white part political. Chinese government troops guarded the Potala during the cultural revolution to prevent destruction (over 5,000 other Buddhist temples in Tibet were destroyed).
Jokhang Temple. Holiest shrine in Tibet, built 647 AD, spiritual centre of Tibet. Destination of thousands of pilgrims from all over Tibet arriving each day on a once-in-a-lifetime journey (some crawl their way to Jokhang). In front, people lay prostrate. People in all sorts of colourful dress, twirling prayer wheels and fingering rosary-type beads, walk in circular pilgrim trails both outside and inside the temple. Inside there are many chapels, the holiest of which is the chapter of Jowo Sakyamuni (Buddha) with a carving of Sakyamuni at age 12 said to be self-carved.
Ani Tsangkung Nunnery. There are nuns as well as monks in Tibetan Buddhism, but this is the last surviving nunnery.
Barkhor Bazaar and Square. Thousands of stalls, mostly religious artefacts and antiques. There is a constant flow of pilgrims and worshippers walking clockwise around the bazaar (takes perhaps 30-40 minutes for one trip).
Tromzikhang Market. Foodstuffs, including lots of yak butter. There are 1,200 stalls, three-fourths run by Chinese and the rest by Tibetans and Muslims.
Norbulingka Palace. The current Dalai Lama's summer home (now a museum), along with palaces for several other Dalai Lamas.
Sera Monastery. Built 1419, college and temple. In 1959 had 7,000 monks, today 300. Daily young monks in maroon robes debate in the courtyard for two hours, open to the public.
Drepung Monastery. Largest monastery in Tibet, built 15th c. Had 10,000 monks in 1959, now only 300 (most fled with Dalai Lama to India). Was home of Dalai Lama before Potala was built, so Drepung was both a political and religious centre. Today four colleges.
Nechung Monastery. Home of Tibet state oracle (protector of the government). 8th c. Today 115 monks.
Blue Buddha. Large Buddhist carvings on a stone mountain from 700 A.D.

Shigatze (Xigatze)

The drive from Lhasa to Shigatze took six or seven hours, following along the Bramaputra river, which flows 2,000 miles down into Bangladesh and India. We drove in a valley between spectacular mountains, many snow covered.

Tashilhunpo Monastery. Seat of the Panchen Lama, built 1447. Once had 4,000 monks, today 600. Floor space of 30,000 square metres (325,000 square feet).
Shigatze Market. There's quite a large market in Shigatze selling foodstuffs and artefacts. Otherwise, the town is not especially attractive, with many new 2 or 3 storey nondescript buildings constructed since the Chinese takeover.

Gyantze (265km from Lhasa)

Gyantze Dzong Castle. Here British under Younghusband in 1904 salughtered 800 Tibetans and captured Tibet as a British colony, where it remained until 1950.
Pelchor Chode Monastery. 1414.
Kumbum Stupa. 9 storeys.

The drive from Gyantze to Lhasa took the better part of a day on a dirt road carved into the sides of mountains, alternately ascending and descending, generally one car width, no guardrails, often with drops of several hundred feet, spectacular mountain views, no vegetation, just rocks.

Other sights

Lake Yamdrok Tso. Holy Lake. Spectacular mirror effects.
Farm visit. Our guide asked if we wanted to visit a farm, and of course we said yes. He just stopped at one we were driving by and asked the owner if we could go in the house. It was surrounded by a wall of whitewashed adobe brick. Inside the wall were animals and yak dung drying for fuel. Inside the house: Dirt floors, no electricity. Storage shelves at entrance with blankets for winter. First room is a Buddhist shrine. Main room is kitchen (wood stove in centre), dining room, and bedroom for family of four. No toilet inside or out (just use the woods). No bath (most Tibetans never bathe).

Other stuff

Tibet has 3,000 hours of bright sunshine a year -- that is roughly 8 hours every day!
Because of the dryness of the air, there is not a lot of snow in Lhasa (just two or three times a year).
Rainy season is June to September, almost none the rest of the year.

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