The land of Tibet has long been a highly sought after travel destination for adventure travelers. Known as the 'roof of the world' or 'Shangri-la'; most Tibetan areas lie at a very high elevation. What many people don't know is that a lot of Tibetan culture can be found outside the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Many important religious, cultural and historical places are located outside the official borders of Tibet.
Lhasa and beyond
After obtaining your Chinese visa, a Tibet travel permit needs to be secured to travel to Lhasa. Whether you go overland or by plane to the capital of Tibet; you will find that Lhasa lives up to all of your expectations and more. Even so, one aspect that travelers to Tibet have found difficult recently is the significant increase in security since the 2008 riots in Lhasa.
What many tourists in search of Shangri-La don't realize is that there are many other Tibetan areas outside of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), which are thick in Tibetan culture. In fact, the majority of Tibetan areas and Tibetan people exist outside of Tibet. Many of these Tibetan areas contain historical importance and are special pilgrimage destinations for Tibetan Buddhists.
Travel to these Tibetan areas is easier than many other parts of Tibet. One reason is that security is not as tight as Lhasa and a Tibet travel permit is not required. These little known cultural corners of Tibet can be highly rewarding because of fewer tourists but contain breathtaking landscapes, beautiful and friendly people, fascinating cultural festivals and customs as much as Lhasa and even more.
Four noteworthy places are Dege and Litang in the Ganzi prefecture of Sichuan province. The other two are Labrang monastery in the Xiahe county of Gansu and Meili Snow Mountain near Deqin, of Yunnan province. I have traveled to each of these Tibetan places several times and the charm and attraction only grows stronger. They are all favorites of mine and each unique in their own way.
The cultural heart of Kham Tibet – Dege
Dege is home to the Dege printing press. This Tibetan wonder contains over 75% of all literary Tibetan works. Night and day, Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims circle the monastery endlessly, some doing full body length prostrations. The 'click-clack' sound of the Tibetan scriptures being printed on the centuries old wood blocks echoes through the ancient Tibetan hallways. Friendly local Tibetan Buddhists sit outside repeatedly chanting the Tibetan scriptures.
The town of Dege sits in the valley where the river cuts it in two. Dege has a very friendly feel. The people are easy going, open and hospitable; like most Tibetan people and Tibetan areas. Tibetan Buddhist monks play pool by the side of the road and women with ornately braided hair shop at the many stalls that sell Tibetan religious artifacts. Dege and Litang are both in the area known as Kham Tibet.
The Tibetan wild west of Litang
Litang is one of the highest towns in the world and lies at an altitude of just over 4000 meters (13100 feet), making altitude sickness a real possibility. This predominantly Tibetan nomadic area hosts an annual Tibetan horse racing festival the first week of every August. Wild haired Tibetan nomads come from the surrounding grasslands to ride their horse for a significant amount of money worth 20 000 renminbi (US$2800).
Litang has a very 'wild west' feel to it. Most Tibetan local people wear the traditional Tibetan clothing; a long sheepskin gown tied with a sash. The Tibetan men are tall and strong and many of them sport long daggers that they aren't afraid to use. The Tibetan women are capable, beautiful and very hard working. The Litang Tibetan Buddhist monastery is gigantic with over 2500 monks and is intensely captivating.
Labrang: The largest pilgrimage destination outside of Tibet
Labrang monastery is steeped in Tibetan history and Tibetan Buddhist religious tradition. This is the largest monastery outside official Tibet and is a highly treasured destination for Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims. Tibetan religious fervour is at a particularly high during festival times, usually January and June/July. This Tibetan Buddhist monastery is located in the area known as Amdo Tibet.
Tibetan holy mountain of Kawagebo
Known as Kawagebo in the Tibetan language or Meili Snow Mountain in the Chinese language is a magnificent snow mountain that would rival any other in the world. Yunnan's highest peak at 6740 meters (22112 feet) is covered with snow all year round. Tibetan people burn offerings and make prostrations to this mountain that is considered holy by Tibetan Buddhists all over Tibet. It lies on the edge of the Tibetan plateau.
Traveling in Tibet is worth all the effort
The rewards of traveling to Tibet are indeed worth the trouble of getting there. The capital of Tibet, Lhasa, is a well known and traveled to destination, but more and more people are discovering the unique Tibetan cultural gems that lie waiting in the many Tibetan areas outside of Tibet.
Rhys Emmanuel - Living and doing development work as a medical professional in Asia has given me unique insight into many areas of life and work and a ...
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