I couldn’t let the inaugural train journey betweeen Beijing and Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, go by without comment. It represents a huge shift for the Tibetans and, while it could bring some positive changes, it’s more likely to bring large numbers of Chinese and a quickening of the pace of the decline of their unique culture.
This is a big subject and one where I’m increasingly of the opinion that we’re going too far in the wrong direction. ID Cards and imprisonment without trial are bad enough but things seem to be going even worse on the other side of the Atlantic (or the UK Government is better at hiding their nefarious plans).
Last weekend I came across an article in the Washington Post that says that the Bush administration is trying to pass a law which would restrict the rights of the press. It would, for example, make it possible to prosecute reporters who found that the President did something illegal or to publish information about a wiretap.
Fortunately press freedom hasn’t been completely decimated yet. The University of Chicago recently held a panel discussion on Civil liberties vs. national security. This write-up on Artstechnica is scary in places — why are such senior legal experts willing to toe the party line based on such flawed logic?
Meanwhile, apparently missing out on the irony, Congress is investigating some big Internet companies activities in China to see whether they’re doing naughty things like helping suppress free speech and imprison dissidents.
I assure you: it’s not deliberate. I’d like to go on record and say that I do not plan to only go to obscure — some have even said dangerous — places. I just go where my interests lie.
I’ve been to a couple of Buddhist countries recently (Thailand and Sri Lanka), but they both practise the same kind of Buddhism — called Theravada. I originally thought that they were the less pure form, the Church of England to Tibet’s Catholicism. I went to Tibet to see the “real” Buddhism, however it turns out that, in some ways, the opposite is true (it’s a long story; leave comments!). Tibetan Buddhism (Mahayana) is actually a merger of the traditional Tibetan religion, B?n, with more normal Buddhism.
My confusion over their form of Buddhism was only the start of it. It’s a schizophrenic place, one where the peoples army destroyed some temples and preserved others, fighting between themselves on more than one occasion.
The Chinese have transformed Lhasa to such an extent that there’s now a “Tibetan Quarter,” yet the Tibetans still seem to be certain of their own identity.
It’s easy to see how people become passionate about the cause of the Tibetan people, however to deny that the Chinese have had a significant positive effect (in some ways) is undeniable.
So I’m in two minds about the place. Maybe with these pictures you’ll be able to make up your own mind. Let me know if you do!
The first few pictures here are all in Kathmandu; there are so few of them that it didn’t seem worth creating a new page for them.
Click the small pictures below for a full size version.
“Left turn” sign, Kathmandu, Nepal
Kathmandu, Nepal
Kathmandu, Nepal
Kathmandu, Nepal
Kathmandu, Nepal
Replica of the original palace for the Dalai Lama, Tibet
Prayer Wheels are very popular in Tibet!
Lake between airport and first night stop, Tibet
Temple, Tibet
Near a monastery, Tibet
Prayer Flags, Tibet
Monastery, Tibet
Monastery, Tibet
Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, Tibet
After a walk near a monastery, Tibet
After a walk near a monastery, Tibet
A monastery, Tibet
Potala Palace, Lahsa, Tibet
Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, Tibet
View from the Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, Tibet
Turquoise Lake, Tibet
Walking round the Barkhor, Lhasa, Tibet
Golden Yaks, Lhasa, Tibet
Tashilumpo (Tashilhunpo) Monastery, Tibet
Tibetan Town
Tibetan monastery
On the way back down from Tibet to Nepal
Sunrise over the Himalayas, Tibet
Sunrise over the Himalayas, Tibet
Rushhour on the Himalayas, Tibet
All pictures were taken on my EOS300 using Fuji Reala ISO100 negative film except for the first two in Kathmandu which were taken using Fuji Sensia II ISO 100 slide film. Most outdoor photographs were taken with a polarising filter.
If the pictures have piqued your interest, there are a few web Sites that you might want to visit:
I’ve deliberately avoided talking about the politics of the area, but as a member of Amnesty it’s difficult not to feel involved to some extent. Have a look at the Free Tibet Campaign or the main Amnesty International site if you want to read more.
As always, there’s a Lonely Planet guide. You can buy a copy from Amazon (UK or US). However, I found the Footprint guide to be much better (UK or US).
You might also like to read “Sorrow Mountain” by Ani Pachen, a Tibetan Nun. The language used is almost child-like in its simplicity, but, because of what she had to endure, it’s not an easy read. Worth the effort, though. (Available from Amazon UK or US.)
