DESTINATION TIBET

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. Tibet's strategic importance, straddling the Himalaya between China and the Indian subcontinent, made it irresistible to China who invaded in 1950. But 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.

Following virtual closure after the Chinese annexation of the Buddhist kingdom, Tibet was opened to foreign tourism in 1984. Closed to all but tour groups in 1987 after an uprising by Tibetans in Lhasa, and reopened in 1992, travel in Tibet comes 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 (16K)

Slide Show

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

Attractions

Lhasa

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)

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.