Tibet Travel Guide
Less than half of the world's Tibetans reside in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), whose boundaries were established in 1965. Tibetans form the majority in large regions of neighboring Nepal, India, Sikkim, and Bhutan, as well as in the adjacent provinces of Qinghai, Gansù, Sìchuan, and Yúnnán. Disagreement over where Tibet begins and ends is an ongoing stumbling block in negotiations between the Tibetan government-in-exile, based in Dharamsala (in India), and the Chinese government.
For this guide, Qinghai has been included, as it is part of the Tibetan plateau, and most of its area -- which covers much of Amdo (northern Tibet) and Kham (eastern Tibet) -- is culturally and ethnically Tibetan. In many ways a better destination than the TAR, it has yet to be overwhelmed by Hàn migration, and restrictions on both locals and travelers are less onerous.
Tibet became the "roof of the world" only recently, formed by the collision of the Indian subcontinent with the Eurasian landmass. Until 35 million years ago, the Himalayas formed the seabed of the Tethys Sea. Mollusks may still be found throughout the region.
Tibet is dominated by the vast, dry Tibetan plateau, a region roughly the size of western Europe, with an average elevation of 4,700m (15,400 ft.). Ringed by vast mountain ranges, such as the Kunlun range to the north and the Himalayas to the south, the plateau's west side features high plains, and the north is dominated by the deserts of the Changtang and the Tsaidam Basin. China's great rivers -- the Yellow River and the Yángzi -- rise in the east, carving out steep gorges. The greatest diversity in landscape, vegetation, and wildlife is found in the broad and fertile valleys of the Himalayas, but most of the border regions are closed to individual travel.
Most Tibetans still look back to the "heroic age" (7th-9th c.) of their history, when their armies dominated the Silk Routes and much of western China, assimilating the culture and technology of these regions. At the same time, Buddhism was introduced to Tibet from northern India. With the disappearance of Buddhism from India around the 13th century, Tibet became the new bearer of a complex faith, which combined a strict monastic code with Tantric Buddhism (with a strong emphasis on ritual). It is often characterized as "complete Buddhism."
The Tibetans went on to convert an entire people -- the Mongols -- despite being weakened by civil war and fighting between different schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
Just as China was often characterized as "closed" until it was "opened" by the West, the idea of Tibet as an inherently inward-looking Shangri-la is a long-standing myth. Isolationism was encouraged by the Manchu rulers from the 18th century onwards, with some success. Regents backed by the Manchus held sway over young Dalai Lamas who often died mysteriously before they were old enough to rule.
Dalai Lama XIII (1876-1934) tried to reverse the policy of isolation, but encountered resistance from the conservative monastic hierarchy. Troubled by the destruction of Mongolia by Russian Communists during the 1920s, he prophesied, "The officers of the state, ecclesiastical and secular, will find their lands seized and their other property confiscated, and they themselves forced to serve their enemies, or wander about the country as beggars do. All beings will be sunk in great hardship and in overpowering fear."
In 1951, Chinese communist armies entered Lhasa, and the prophecy began to unfold. A revolt against Chinese rule rose in Kham (eastern Tibet) 5 years later, and Dalai Lama XIV (b. 1935) fled for India in March 1959, soon after the Great Prayer (Monlam) was celebrated in Lhasa. Tibet's darkest hour was the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), known to the Tibetans as the time when "the sky fell to earth." Monks and nuns were tortured, executed, and imprisoned. Monasteries were looted and razed, and a vast body of Tibetan art was lost. Adding to the pain is the fact that many Tibetans, either willingly or coerced, participated in the destruction.
A revival of Tibetan culture and religion throughout the 1980s was checked after pro-independence protests, led by monks from Drepung Monastery, resulted in the declaration of martial law in March 1989, signed by chief of the local Communist Party Hú Jintao, now president of China.
Travel in Tibet should not be taken lightly. There are wide variations in temperature throughout the day, and many visitors experience altitude sickness, particularly those who fly directly to Lhasa. The northern and western regions of Tibet are cold and arid, with an annual average temperature of about 32°F (0°C), while southern and eastern regions are warmer and wetter. Peak season runs from May to mid-October. Winter in Lhasa is cozy, but transport out can be difficult to arrange -- the Friendship Highway from Nepal to Lhasa is effectively closed for the winter months. Note: Unless otherwise noted, hours listed for attractions and restaurants are daily.
