Tibet Travel Guide

Tibet, a rich and beautiful land, is located at the main part of Qinghai-Tibet plateau, south-West frontier of China. Tibet borders with Sichuan, Yuannan, Qinghai And Xinjiang; to the south contiguous to India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Burma, and bounded by Kashmir on the west.

Geographically, Tibet can be divided into three majoy parts, the east, north and south. The eastern part is forest region. The northern part is open grassland, where nomads and yak and sheep dwell here. This part occupies approximately half of Tibet. The southern and central part is agricultural region, occupying about one-fourth of Tibet's land area. with all major Tibetan cities and towns such as Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse ad Tsetang located in this area, it is considered the cultural center of tibet. The total area of the Tibet Autonomous Region is 1,200,000 square kilometers and its population is 1,890,000.

Tibet Tourism

Tibet has abundant cultural and historical relics that can be explored to develop tourism. Some cultural relics are under state-level protection such as the Jokhang Temple, the Potala Palace, Norbulingka Palace, Ganden, Drepung and Sera monasteries(???), Octagons Streets, Guge Castle, The Tombs of the Ancient Kings and Samye Monastery. Of which, the Potala Palace is listed in the World's Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO.

In 2000, over 150,000 tourists (+38.9%) visited the region and generated revenue of US$52 million, increased 44.4% over 1999.

People

Ideology of people in this land differs greatly from any other nationality both at home in china and in the world. Religion seems almost everthing. Many live for the next life, rather than for the present. They accumulate deeds of virtue and pray for the final liberation-enlightenment

Climate

Basically, the Tibetan climate is not as harsh as many people imagine. The best time of year to be in Tibet is from April to the beginning of November, after which temperatures start to plummet. The central Tibet, including Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse and Tsedang, generally has very mild weather from April to November, though July and August can be rainy - these two months usually see around half of Tibet's annual rainfall. October and November often bring some dazzling clear weather and daytime temperatures can be quite comfortable at Tibet's lower altitude.

The coldest months are from December to February. It is not impossible to visit Tibet in winter. The low altitude valleys of Tibet (around Lhasa, Shigatse and Tsedang) see very little snow. Spring does not really get under way until April, though March can have warm sunny days and is not necessarily a bad month to be in Tibet.

Tibetan Custom:

Presenting Hada

Present hada is a common practice among the Tibetan people to express their best wishes on many occasions, such as wedding ceremonies, festivals etc.

Proposing a Toast and Tea

Proposing a Toast and Tea When you come to a Tibetan family, the host will propose a toast, usually barley wine.

Greetings

Greetings Don't forget to add "la"after saying hello to the Tibetan people to show respect. Try not to make any sounds while eating and drinking.

Sky Burials

Sky burial is a common form in Tibet. There are many prohibitions. Strangers are not allowed to attend the ceremony. Visitors should respect this custom and keep away from such occasions.

Relegion

The Tibetan Buddhism was introduced to Tibet from the mainland and India in the seventh century. The Tibetan Buddhism consists of four major sects, the Ge-lug-pa(Yellow) Sect, the Nying-ma-pa(Red)Sec, the Saturday-kya-pa(Variegated) Sect, and the Ka-gyu-pa(White) Sect.

Festival