We left for 2-3 years, but continued moving for nearly 14 years. Now we're heading home to Australia ... the long way.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Into Amdo region ... the only Tibetan area still open to foreigners
Rebkong (or Tongren to the Chinese)
Arrived at reception at 9:00am as planned to leave our big home-moving bags in the luggage room and take only our day sacks for the 6 nights in the hills.As usual, reception were a little awkward and couldn’t understand the concept of leaving luggage, but our Tibetan guide, Gonkho, forced the issue.
Gonkho is the son of nomadic herders from northern Sichuan province and is the first one in his family to have any education.His brother is still a nomad but the rest of his family are settled in a village.He grew up speaking only Tibetan, and at 18 started to learn English, and then had to learn Chinese so that he could have a "normal" job.That wouldn’t happen now because the Chinese have decreed that all children must learn Chinese and can choose between Tibetan and English as a 2nd language (in the hope that most will select English and that Tibetan will fade over a generation or two).
It becomes obvious quite early that there is great animosity between the Tibetans and the Chinese.Apart from being culturally and ethnically very different, with different languages, alphabet, customs and history, their ambitions and values appear to be at odds.The Chinese are more like Americans (total focus on progress, development, wealth, material goods, etc) while the Tibetans are more like the Italians (enjoy life, smile a lot, no hurry, etc).The comparison is even more appropriate when you consider the steamroller effect of the Chinese energy and business skills on a Tibetan society that just wants to be left to do its own thing at its own pace.Chinese tourists love to visit the Tibetan areas for the culture and lifestyle but can not understand why their presence, suggestions, and money are often resented.
Of course, the influence of recent history has few comparisons in the West. The cruel and heavy-handed treatment is not only extreme, but is also very fresh in every Tibetan's mind (eg. 2003 and 2008).Even the horrific brutality of Mao’s cultural revolution (destroying 6,000 temples and killing countless monks) was less than 40-50 years ago and therefore living memory to many Tibetans. I can identify with this a little because it took Ireland 50 years after independence to cast off the baggage of history and therefore to enjoy a mature relationship with England.China and Tibet have not even started on the road to reconciliation yet.
To illustrate the frustration felt by Tibetans, Tibet is currently closed to foreigners and to non-TAR Tibetans because of a Chinese celebration in Lhasa, at which the authorities neither want foreigners nor Tibetans to be present.Spending billions of yuan on Tibetan infrastructure (roads, bridges, hospitals) is no substitute for acknowledging that Tibetans are different and should be respected as Tibetans.Whether it needs independence or a Hong Kong style Special Administrative Region is a matter for politicians and diplomats to work out, but attitudes must change first.As an Irishman whose birth was a mere 4 years after that of the Irish republic, I can identify with the long time needed to build trust in a powerful neighbor.
Anyhow, back to the itinerary.On day 1, we headed to Rebkong and visited some monasteries on the way.As you know, neither of us are religious people, so the fascination of the visits was to see and understand the Tibetans, especially since Tibetan Buddhism seems to be an enormous influence on their daily lives.The weather was rainy and the hotel was more like another Moscow state-run hotel … large and bleak with grumpy staff.I later discovered that the hotel was indeed owned by the Chinese Government … evidence yet again of the Chinese skills at copying things from the west!!
Rebkong was not an exciting town, so we’d only make a passing visit if we were doing it again
The highlight, apart from some great monasteries, was the wedding in front of our Soviet style hotel.We jumped up at the sound of firecrackers … and saw lots of men setting off 100’s of firecrackers in the car park.Everybody was running for cover as the bride was driven up … but she had to wait until the smoke cleared before she could get out of the car.
Later we walked into town.A dreary place, partly because of the rain, but it looked like a scene from an 1880’s Western.Broken roads and kerbs, mud everywhere, bikes going every which way, and people trying to negotiate obstacles along what used to be kerbs.A rough place.
The only Tibetan restaurant was closed.Strange that there’s only 1 Tibetan restaurant in a town that is supposed to be Tibetan.
Finally we bought a souvenir … a mandala supposedly relating to the Buddhist God of Compassion.Having bought the mandala, the painter/monk invited us to a little party/fête that the village were having in the local common field.However, when we got there, the Chinese army had decide to shoot some movie footage of themselves doing some manouevres and would not permit anybody into the area.So as the villagers and monks were assembled at the locked and manned gate to the field, wondering what to do, we parted company and headed for Labrang.
Labrang (or Xia He to the Chinese)
On the other hand, the journey from Rebkong to Labrang and our time in Labrang itself were definite highlights of the entire 2-month escapade.
First, the journey up onto the grasslands … fantastic … 3,500 metres altitude … much more lush grass than in Siberia or on the Mongolian steppes.
We stopped at a monastery, but it was closed.For me at least, that was a bit of a relief because the previous day had exceeded my ability to digest monasteries for a little while.And besides, I was more enthralled by the scenery … the grasslands, the snow-capped peaks … the mud walled houses … not to mention the assortment of cows, sheep, goats, horses and especially yaks roaming everywhere, even on the road.
Ust as well that we didn’t include a visit to Lhasa.We had considered it but it can be a bit complicated, and everything we read suggested that it’s now more Chinese than Tibetan, and overrun with hawkers (not to mention being quite restricted in terms of where you can go).The Amdo region (and also the Kham region in Sichuan) are much more authentic and easier to access.
Tibet itself will be closed to foreigners from next week, because of a Chinese anniversary celebration.Part of Kham has been closed for some time, and the remainder has just been closed, so the only remaining part open at this point is Amdo.Phew.Makes it tricky for tour operators because they get very little notice of closures, let alone the duration of the closure.And the tour operators have been told not to tell foreigners of any advices that these areas are to be closed.
Tsewong’s café and Tsampa ... and tea with yak’s milk ... followed shortly by a need for that spare toilet roll.
The Highlight of the Trip into Amdo
On the long drive back to Xining, Gonkho suggested that we stop off somewhere so that Gumpo the driver could have break. So he just chose a monastery at random. Boy what a choice .... even if it was pure luck.
The trouble with visiting out of the way monsasteries is that you have to hope (and pray) that there's somebody home so that you can get in. However, if the abbott is at home, and if they are about to perform some activity, then it can be truly exciting.
In this case, the monks were all in the Assembly Hall, but as they left, Gonkho had a chat and explained at we were Irish and Australian. Well, he'd never heard of Ireland, but he was quite excited about Australia because the Big D (Dalai Lama) was visiting Melbourne at that time. As a consequence, he invited us all to come with them and observe as they undertook the strange process by which Tibetan monks learn to debate.
But first the monks assembled in front of the Abbott and the Disclipline master the one with the biggest hat an with the Staff), so thatanothe senior monk could lead them in throast singing.
Then they brok e into smaller groups, each with one or two sitting on the ground, andwith several standing arg
Can you work out why they're called "Yellow Hats"?
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