Monster Media 1994 #1

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============================================================================= /\/\ F A Q /\/\ \/\/ on \/\/ /\/\/\/\ T R A V E L T O T I B E T /\/\/\/\ \/\/\/\/ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ \/\/\/\/ /\/\ compiled by andrew@dorje.demon.co.uk /\/\ \/\/ 20/2/94 \/\/ ============================================================================= contents: Introduction First a bit of travel history Group Tourist or Individual Tourist? Making the Most of Your Trip Politics Getting The Visa Where to go How to get there Recomended reading ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This FAQ is aimed at everyone who wishes to travel to Tibet. The advice about travel regulations applies mainly to non-chinese. If you are a ROC citizen or HK citizen travel will be easier. If you are a PRC citizen, I m sure you can tell me more about it than I can tell you. (please mail me, I'd be interested to include this information too) ------------------------------------ "In 1979 when the first western tourists were permitted a peek at Lhasa by the Chinese only 1200 Westerners had ever seen the holy city (including some 600 invading members of the Younghusband Expedition of 1903-4)" from"Tibet a travel survival kit" lonely planet guide ------------------------------------ Tibet is always put forward as the stereotypical remotest place in the world, but travel to Tibet is not so much of a problem as you may think. As I write, as far as I know, Lhasa is open to individual travellers, so if you have a bit of spare cash you could be there in thirty or forty hours.(or sooner if you live nearby) First a bit of travel history ----------------------------- China first opened up to western travellers in 1979. As an individual traveller only a very few cities were open. A special permit was needed for each one. At each city you could ask for a permit to the next one and so work your way round. Tibet was not open officially, but some smooth operators managed to take advantage of the local PSB (police) inexperience in dealing with foreigners. They sweet talked and conned themselves into Tibet Now most places in China do not require a special permit to visit them - a passport and visa is enough. However *many* parts of Tibet are still strictly off limits. Group Tourist or Individual Tourist? ------------------------------------ If you want to go to Tibet as an individual traveller you can do this: Individual travel is sometimes a problem, sometimes no problem. It depends on where you want to go: While individual travel to Lhasa has at times been restricted (eg '89 - '91) other parts of Tibet have been open to individual travellers all the time. Since 1979 group tourism has been possible in Tibet. There are few logistical problems, you pick your tour, pay your money and go. If that is your style then OK, but I would encourage you to consider individual travel. The main disadvantage of group travel is that you will end up with an un-balanced view of the situation there. eg during 1988 if there were small demonstrations around the Jokang (as there were regularly at that time) Group tourists were told that the minibus from the Lhasa Holiday Inn was broken and they would not be able to go into the city centre. eg Chinese tour guides can feed their clients with information reflecting the party line on historical and political issues. The proceeds of group travel go directly into the coffers of the Chinese Government. If you travel as an individual, you can spend your money with Tibetans. As an individual traveller you have the opportunity to make friendly contact with the local people, something you wont be able to do so easily as part of a group. Individual travel is not as hard as you might think. In the end the choice is yours. ------------------------------------------------- Making the Most of Your Trip ---------------------------- Support Tibetan people by spending your money with them. After all they are the reason that you want to visit in the first place. Use only Tibetan restaurants and shops. *If you want Chinese food YOU SHOULD GO TO BEIJING!!!!!!! Don't let Chinese immigrants benefit from your tourism! You do not go to Tibet to see them, SO DON'T LET THEM BENEFIT!!! Tibetan culture is far removed from western culture. To get the most out of your trip, read about Tibetan culture and history *before* you go. (not after you get home!) Don't expect to understand it just by looking. If you don't understand it, how can you expect to appreciate it? Understand the political and cultural background to today's situation. Respect Tibetan culture: Tibetan culture is under attack. If you show some interest in it the local people will most likely be very appreciative towards you. *DO NOT go around photographing the local people as you would animals in a zoo* Show some respect. Ask people first, at least. -If all you want is photographs then stay at home and buy of those coffee-table books full of glossy photos! Its far cheaper. Learn a bit of Tibetan Language: get a phrase book and GET TALKING! English will get you nowhere, so you've got to learn something. Tibetans will be glad that you have taken trouble to learn some of their language, unlike most Chinese immigrants who just can't be bothered. Instant friends guaranteed. I'm convinced you can make more friends with ten words of Tibetan than if you spoke fluent Chinese. Tibetan is good for dealings with officialdom too. No one may understand though. (gya kay haku mason = I don't understand chinese) ;-) Hitch Hiking: Sometimes Hitching is a convenient way to travel, but its illegal for foreigners to do so. "So what?" you may say, but please consider the driver of the truck. He could end up with a very large fine and *lose his driving license* This would be a severe blow as a truck driver is a lucrative profession. So don't be surprised if no one gives you a lift. If you do get a lift watch out for police checkpoints which are here and there. Destruction: Much of the culture was destroyed between 1951-1979. Whilst Tibetans in Tibet are making every effort to re-establish their culture in the face of officialdom, you may come away with the idea that there's not much culture left. Its there alright, just its not everywhere. you've got to go looking for it sometimes. This is where the freedom of individual travel comes in handy. Hassles with the police: Those amongst us who insist on going to closed places or overstaying their visas will get into trouble with the PSB. They are wiser than they were a few years ago and not as lenient. ------------------------------------------------- Politics -------- Don't try and talk politics to local people if they don't want to. *Tibetans can get 20 years in prison for this.* It is a counter revolutionary crime. Even if they do want to talk, this may be due to a misplaced idea that you are a journalist or similar. Be sensitive to this. While you are in Tibet OBSERVE what is going on there. Use your brain. Ask yourself what is really going on, how do the local people react to the present situation. Use the trip to further your understanding of the situation in Tibet. Question everything. It is not easy if you don't speak so much Tibetan. Tell people what you think when you get back home. Before you go, read up on Tibet, its history and politics See recommended reading at the end of this FAQ ------------------------------------------------- Getting The Visa ---------------- What type of visa you get will determine how long you can stay. You can probably get a 30 day visa everywhere, but dont be suprised if the Chinese Embassy in Western capital cities does not give out Visas for individual travellers. You may have to get your Visa from Hong Kong or Kathmandu. If you want a 90 day visa then Hong Kong is the best place. In Kathmandu they have not been so generous in the past. There has also been a situation in the past in Kathmandu where they were not issuing visas, but people who had got their visas from elsewhere could cross the border into Tibet. You may or may not be able to extend your visa once in Tibet. Things change so fast. The moral of the story is: you'll always get a visa in HK but maybe not in Kathmandu. The latast information is that you *can* get visas in Kathmandu. Where to go ----------- As I said above, some places in Tibet are always open, even if travel to Lhasa is not allowed. These places are not in the Tibetan Autonomous Region, but they are inhabited by Tibetan people and have just as much Tibetan culture too see. Qinghai Province: -Regong (chinese name Tongren) open to tourists, but politically a bit sensitive due to anti chinese demonstrations held here a few years ago. The town is not so special with many Chinese residents, but the surrounding countryside is very much Tibetan. The last Tulku was killed in the 1950s, but the monastery is in the process of being rebuilt. -Kumbum (chinese name Taer-su or Hongyuan) Open to tourists. only a few kilometres from Xining. This is on the borders of ethnic Tibet. In the summer it is full of local tourists demonstrating their lack of respect towards Tibetan Culture. In the winter there are far more Tibetan Pilgrims. In 1988 some monks here were arrested for demonstrating their lack of respect towards their Chinese rulers. Most other parts of Qinghai are still closed to individual travellers. Get caught in the towns and the local PSB will arrest you. This is not so serious as it might seem, but it does put take a bit of the inertia out of your trip In the countryside there are no PSB. Gansu Province -Labrang Trashikil (Chinese name Xiahe) This Important monastery might look impressive, but if you compare it with the photo in "The Anye Ma Chhen Range and Adjacent Regions" by J F Rock (1956) you will see that half of it has been destroyed. Still, plenty too see. Get yourself into the surrounding countryside too. Read an account of the destruction and looting of the monastery in "Tibet behind the Ice Curtain" by Vanya Kewley. pp 314-319 -There are other places open between Labrang and Zoige which is in Sichuan province, you can travel this road, but don't just do it in the bus - stop, get off and explore! Sichuan Province -Kanding (Tib. Dartsedo) Called Tasienlu in some books. This is the old border of Tibet. There's not too much Tibetan culture to see here now.There used to be a huge Catholic cathedral, but not any more! -Gadze More Tibetan than Kanding. the road between the two is also interesting. -Aba This place is hard to get to (only by permit, and you cant have one!) Lots of Tibetan culture here,so I'm told. The Monastery in Aba Kidje Gompa (spelling??) has two thousand monks, making it the largest in all Tibet. (I think this bits true, but would stand corrected??) -Litang (no info) -Batang (no Info) Yunnan Province (no Info) Tibet Autonomous Region Lhasa, Shigatse and the road to Nepal and Golmud are Officially open to individuals: -Lhasa Due to the political situation, things can change rapidly.But apart from during marshal law (89 - 90) there have been individual travellers in Lhasa every year. The most recent information I heard was that you could fly in from Chengdu, or take the bus from Golmud. The two are the same price. Or you could enter overland from Nepal. This is as free as it gets. Any sniff of trouble and they'll drastically reduce the number of tourists by not letting you fly in and by closing the border with Nepal to foreigners. You may still be able to get in from Golmud however if you try hard enough. If it is closed, but you do get through you'll most probably be tolerated in Lhasa as the city authorities want to encourage tourism. It's the National officials who want to stop you getting there. -Shigatse Open at present. If Lhasa is open Shigatse will be too. -Other places may or may not be open. Ask for a permit at your friendly local PSB. ------------------------------------------------- I have only mentioned the towns. The countryside is far more Tibetan than the towns, which are usually modern built with concrete appartment blocks. They suffered most in the liberation and the cultural revolution. It involves a bit more effort to travel in the countryside, but is far more rewarding. ------------------------------------------------- How to get there ---------------- You can fly into Lhasa, and there's a train to Xining and Golmud. For everywhere else you'll have to get the bus! Go to the long distance bus station early in the morning and buy a ticket! Who says individual travel is hard? Obviously if you are in Kathmandu and Lhasa is closed, then you are stuck. - you can't enter Tibet from Kathmandu without going through Lhasa. On the other hand if you are in HK and Lhasa is closed you can still go to loads of places in East Tibet. ------------------------------------------------- Recomended reading ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ -Guide book: Lonely Planet Tibet Guide is good. (There are plenty of others too) -Phrasebook: Lonely Planet Tibet Phrasebook is OK. Get one with Tibetan script written in it, that way even if you can't pronounce the phonetics you can point at the words and people will understand. Tibetan Politics and History: -"In exile from the Land of The Snows" by John F Avendon Pub 1984 in the USA by Knopf. In UK by Wisdom. This book gives an account of the events between 1951-1979 as well as sections on Tibetan culture and history. Its only covers one side of the spectrum of thoughts on the Tibet issue, so for another perspective try: -"Tibet Transformed" by Israel Epstein pub 1983 New World Press (Beijing) This is book covers similar topics to "In exile from the Land of The Snows" but gives the Chinese version. -"100 Questions about Tibet" by Jing Wei pub 1989 Beijing Review Publications Interesting Question and Answer format which makes clear the PRC view on Political and human rights issues. A Chinese FAQ on Tibet! Recent Politics: -"Defying the Dragon - China and Human Rights in Tibet" published by LAWASIA and TIN. This must be the definitive guide to the current political situation inside Tibet. Very good indeed. -"Merciless Repression - Human Rights in Tibet" Asia Watch Tibetan Culture. There are plenty of old travel books from which you can learn quite a bit about Tibetan culture. I'd recommend: -"Seven Years In Tibet" by Heinrich Harrer -"Magic and Mystery in Tibet" by Alexandra David-Neel also a more academic tome: -"A Cultural History of Tibet" by David Snellgrove and Hugh Richardson There are plenty of other books on Tibet. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Any updated information or corrections or comments would be appreciated. andrew@dorje.demon.co.uk ----------------------------------------------------------------------- end