DESTINATION TIBET & QINGHAI

Locked away in its Himalayan fortress, Tibet has long exercised a unique hold on the imagination of the West: 'Shangri-La', 'the Land of Snows', 'the Rooftop of the World', Tibet is mysterious in a way that few other places are. Most of Tibet is an immense plateau which lies at altitudes from 4000 to 5000m, but inhabitants tend to cluster in the valleys in the country's east. Tibet's strategic importance, straddling the Himalaya between China and the Indian subcontinent, made it irresistible to China who invaded in 1950. Qinghai, although separated from Tibet by the 6500m Tanggula range, in whose peaks lie the sources of the Yangzi and Mekong rivers, was part of the Tibetan world for centuries. It was not incorporated into the Chinese empire until the early 18th century.

The inclusion of Tibet in a destination profile of China is intended to reflect the realities of travel in the region and does not in any way confer approval of the Chinese annexation of this Buddhist kingdom. Tibet was opened to foreign tourism in 1984, closed to all but tour groups in 1987 after a virtual uprising by Tibetans in Lhasa, and reopened in 1992, though with some ludicrous permit requirements. The present Chinese policy on individual tourism in Tibet basically seems to be one of extorting as much cash as possible from foreigners, but not so much as to scare them off completely.

Map of Tibet & Qinghai (15K)

Slide Show

Attractions
Off the Beaten Track
Getting There & Getting Around
Lonely Planet Guides
Travellers' Reports on Tibet
On-line Info

Attractions

Tibet

Tibetans have never had it easy. Theirs is a harsh environment and human habitation has always been a precarious proposition. Even so, the deliberate cultural strangling inflicted by the Chinese occupiers since 1950 rates as the worst misfortune the inhabitants of the 'Land of Snows' have been forced to endure.

Tibetan Buddhism, which developed out of Indian Tantric Buddhism and the indigenous animistic Bon religion, spread through Tibet by the 7th century. Political differences led to the formation of the Yellow and Red Hat sects, with the Yellow Hats prevailing under the leadership of a succession of Dalai Lama god-kings. Each Dalai Lama is considered the reincarnation of the last, upon whose death the monks search for a newborn child who shows some sign of embodying his predecessor's spirit.

With the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, Tibet entered a period of independence which lasted until 1950 when the People's Liberation Army entered the region. Tibet was no liberal democracy (it was a highly repressive theocracy based on serfdom) and the Chinese truly believed their occupation was a mission of mercy. Indeed, until a massive rebellion in 1959, Tibet's political, social and religious organisations were left intact.

Post-1959 Communist Tibet, however, was subjected to the disaster that was the Cultural Revolution. About 1.2 million deaths were attributable to the 'liberation', 100,000 people (including the Dalai Lama) fled their homeland, the number of monasteries was reduced from about 1600 to a lonely 10 (monks were executed or sent to work in fields and labour camps), and land reforms made a mess of the economy. The Dalai Lama continues to be worshipped by his people, and his acceptance in 1989 of the Nobel Peace Prize marked a greater sympathy on the part of the Western world for the plight of the Tibetan people. Unfortunately, China's market potential makes most world leaders wary of pressing the issue of Tibetan independence.

Lhasa, the heart and soul of Tibet and an object of devout pilgrimage, is still a city of wonders. The Potala, a vast white and ochre fortress, dominates the Lhasa skyline. Once the seat of Tibetan government and the location of the tombs of previous Dalai Lamas, the Potala serves as a symbolic focus for Tibetan aspirations. Today though, it is the Jokhang temple, 2km to the east, which is the spiritual heart of the city. The medieval push and shove of crowds, the street performers, the stalls hawking everything from prayer flags to jewel-encrusted yak skulls, and the devout tapping their foreheads to the ground at every step is an exotic brew that few newcomers can resist. Among Tibet's other attractions are Shigatse, around 250km south-west of Lhasa and the seat of the Panchen Lama (the reincarnation of whom the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government are currently disputing), and Mt Kailash, a beautiful range of peaks.

Tibetan girls, Lhasa (18K)

Qinghai

Qinghai lies on the north-east border of Tibet and is one of the great cartographical constructions of our time: only the colours on a Chinese-made map separate it from the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Since 1949, the province has served as a sort of Chinese Siberia where criminals and political prisoners are incarcerated. The local population is a mixture of minorities including Kazaks, Mongols, Hui and Tibetans. Han settlers are concentrated around Xining, the provincial capital. The region's greatest drawcard is the Ta'er Monastery, 26km south-east of Xining and one of the six great monasteries of the Yellow Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery is noted for its extraordinary sculptures of human figures, animals and landscapes carved out of yak butter. Other attractions include Qinghai Lake, 300km west of Xining and the largest lake in China. It's 3200m above sea level, contains huge numbers of fish and is a breeding ground for extremely rare black-necked cranes among many other bird species.

Off the Beaten Track

Getting There & Getting Around

Flights to Gonggar airport, 90km from Lhasa, depart Beijing via Chengdu (Sichuan); Chongqing (Sichuan); and Kathmandu. There are five major road routes to Lhasa but foreigners are only supposed to use the Nepal (Friendship Highway) and Qinghai (via Golmud) routes. Most travellers band together to rent a 4WD for the spectacular journey to Nepal. Getting around Tibet can be difficult: the buses are often at their last gasp and travelling by 4WD can be expensive. Trucks tend to charge the same inflated prices as buses, but the Chinese government discourages foreigners from hitching rides. 'Road safety' is little more than a slogan. Tibetans tend to rely on prayer to facilitate a safe arrival - you might consider doing the same once you see the conditions. Bicycling is possible, but is not without its hazards: cyclists in Tibet have died from road accidents, hypothermia and pulmonary oedema. You can fly to Xining from Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou (Guangdong) and Ürümqi (Xinjiang). There are frequent rail connections to Lanzhou (Gansu) and more erratic services to Beijing, Shanghai and other regional centres.