Tibet Information

Tibet is where Shangri-La, the place of perpetual happiness and everlasting life is said to hidden. Perhaps the dream place was not farfetched and lay within its culture. For the way of life for the simple living people was finding pleasure in religion. The pride of each man was mastering the philosophy that taught to see the world through the mind. There was a time, it is often recalled by old Tibetans, that Lhasa the capital was brimful of devout monks. Every family groomed its posterity into this unique practice. There still remains a lot of this vibrant culture and allows one a taste into what once was. Adventure Specialist Travel organizes a selected variety of trips by flight and drive to Lhasa including Treks through desolate passes for majestic views of the Tibetan Plateau over the highest mountains in the world. The scared monasteries like the Jokhang, established in the 7th century and the Drepung which once boasted of more than a thousand monks will be visited in Lhasa. The trek also takes us to Shigatse with the Sakya Citadel and the Tashilhunpo monastery and the 26m high gold covered sculpture of maitreya-the biggest stupa in Tibet. Or one could trek to the foot of the Kailash Himal-undoubtedly the most sacred pilgrimage for the Hindus.

 

Situation
Located in southwest China , bordering Xinjiang Uygur Autonomus Region and Qinghai , Sichua and Yunan Provinces . In south and west, it borders Myanmar , India , Bhutan , Sikkim , Nepal and Kashmir Area.

Area
1.22 million square kilometers.

Population
2.62 million. The ethnic groups comprise Han, Monba , Lhoba , Hui , Mongol, Naxi , Nu . The Tibetan population is more than 92.2% of the total population.
Average Elevation: 4,000m

Economy
Agriculture and Livestock are the economic pillars of Tibet , cultivating mainly sheep, goats and yaks and growing mainly barley, potato and rape. The reason also produces famous medicinal materials such as musk, pilose antler and snow lotus. Tibet leads the country in the deposits of hydropower and thermal power and ranks second in the solar energy in the world.

History
As early as in the late Paleolithic Age, people were found here. In the seventh century, King Songtsan Gambo united Tibet and established the Tubo Kingdom . In the 13 th century, Tibet became an administrative area under the Yuan Dynasty. In the 17 th century, the 5 th Dalali Lama established the Kadam Potrang government. The Qing government accepted this local government and sent his envoy to the region. After the revolution of 1911, the Republican government established a representative office in Tibet in order to strengthen its management of the local government. After the founding of the Peoples' Republic of China in 1949, the Tibet Autnomous Region was founded on September 1, 1965.

Transport Means
Airport Shuttle Bus, Mini Bus, Tricycle, Taxi, Bicycle.
Taxi charges 10 Yuan at the beginning and the meter increases by 1 Yuan per each km run. Tricylce accommodates two persons and costs 5-10 Yuan for a short ride. Bicyle rental services available in the guesthouses and hotels. It costs 2-3 Yuan per hour and 20-25 Yuan per a whole day.

Climate
Tibetan winters, as might be supposed, are fiercely cold. But for half the year, strong sunlight warms the thin air, making most days in Lhasa comfortably mild and, owing to protective mountains, relatively windless. Summer temperatures hover above 30'C (high-80s F) and only to drop to a searing -23'C (-10'F) in midwinter. The best time to visit is from late spring to early fall.

Here is some more specific information in different areas:

Lhasa - Shigatse - Lhatse - Tingri - Nyalan :
Along the Friendship highway is basically in good conditions year around. But from December to February, the thaw road could make some trouble. Try to avoid August - landslide could happen in the rainy season.

Mt. Everest Area:
Early May and early October are the best time to visit Mt. Everest. Due to the clear weather, you have great chance to see Mt. Everest's true face. From December to February, you'd better not to go to this area because it is too cold - except you are real Great Adventure People. Permission to this area in this period may be denied.

Ali ( Mt.Kailash ):
Even without climate restrictions, this area is already inhospitable. Big rain and snow could make the journey worse. However, for those determined tourists, the appropriate time is May, June, July and September.

Eastern Tibet :
Don't go to this area in July or August (the rainy season) because the rain could ruin the road, and make terrible landslides. In winter, the road could be frozen.

Northern Tibet :
With the average altitude of 4,500m, this area offers very limited time for tourists. Summer (July to August) is the prime time to enjoy the great plain in northern Tibet.

 

People
The Tibetans speak the Tibetan language natively and form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China (PRC), although in anthropological terms they include more than one ethnic group. Tibetans are one of the four non-Chinese nations incorporated into the PRC, the others being the Uighur , the Manchu, and the Mongols. The SIL Ethnologic documents an additional 125,000 Tibetan language speakers living in India , 60,000 in Nepal , and 4,000 in Bhutan.

Tibetans generally observe Tibetan Buddhism and a close affiliate known as Bön .It is generally agreed that Tibetans share a considerable genetic background with Mongols, although other main influences do exist. Some anthropologists have suggested an Indo-Scythian component, and others a Southeast Asian component; both are credible given Tibet 's geographic location.

Tibetans traditionally explain their own origins as rooted in the marriage of the bodhisattva Chenrezig and a mountain ogress. Tibetans who display compassion, moderation, intelligence, and wisdom are said to take after father, while Tibetans who are "red-faced, fond of sinful pursuits, and very stubborn" are said to take after mother.

Tibetans typically have light brown skin, black, somewhat wavy or even curly hair, moderately high cheekbones, and brown eyes, although some have very light hazel and green eyes, due to their Mongol heritage. The men typically have full mustaches but sparse beards; traditionally, they pluck out their beards with tweezers. Nomads have long braided hair, the women usually braid their hair in 108 braids. Tibetans have a legendary reputation to be able to survive extremes of altitude and cold, abilities which were no doubt conditioned by the extreme environment of the Tibetan plateau.

Religion
Tibetan Buddhism has exerted extensive and profound influence on the Tibetan race. Buddhism spread into Tibet in the 7th century, and gradually infiltrates Tibet 's history, politics, economics, culture, exchanges and habits and customs to become the most extensively worshipped religion of Tibetans. Prolonged ethnic cultural exchanges also enabled Tibetan Buddhism to make its way into the Mongolian, Tu , Yugu , Luoba , Moinba , Naxi , Purmi and other ethnic minority nationalities throughout China . Buddhism has long been widely worshipped in China 's Tibet Autonomous Region, as well as Sichuan , Yunnan , Gansu and Qinghai provinces, and the Xinjiang Uygur and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions. It has also made its way into Sikkim , Bhuttan , Nepal , the Mongolian People's Republic and Buryat in the Republic of Russia .

More than 1,400 Tibetan monasteries and other religious venues were renovated and opened following the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951. Chinese government and policies for religious freedom enable 34,000 monks in various monasteries to freely study Buddhist sutras and hold various types of Buddhist activities in their respective monasteries. In addition, the broad masses of religious have set up shrines, Buddha halls and sutra recitation rooms in their homes, and undertake pilgrimages to sacred sites.