Olympolitik

I was motivated to write something after reading a post on BBC News reporting Chinese reaction to the Olympic torch protests - which seem to be universally hostile to demonstrations in the west. I've no idea how representative the comments are, but since it's the good old BBC (who I trust beyond all reason), and given that Britain enjoys uncensored free speech, I'm prepared to believe they're at least commonly held views among Han Chinese.

The posts make several points, most of which made my blood boil. Grrrr:

1. The Olympics are non-political and should not be used by protestors to make a political point.
2. Tibet has been part of China "for more 1,000 years" [sic].
3. China has poured huge resources into Tibet to develop the economy.
4. Tibet was previously a very unequal, feudal society.
5. Most Westerners haven't been to China and misunderstand the country and it's politics.
   
6. Westerners are hypocritical in their condemnation given their own human rights abuses at Guantanamo, Iraq and other places.

Lets vent some spleen at these points, in order.

1. Beijing is out to make as much political capital out of the Olympics as possible and if you live by the sword, expect to feel it poking you in the jacksy from time to time. Among the torch-related stunts we still have to look forward to are a procession though Tibet itself (to show Chinese unity, naturally) and climbers carrying the torch to the summit of Everest. No political controversy there then.
2. This is just wrong. Sadly I don't have the space to summarise 1,000 years of Tibetan and Chinese history here, but there are plenty of books on the subject. For maximum accuracy, try reading one that's been not been approved for publication by the Chinese Communist Party. My recent personal favorites can be bought here and here.
   
3. This is true, but in no way excuses the systematic destruction of an entire culture, religion and way of life. 98% of Tibet's religious buildings were destroyed in the Cultural Revolution. Ever notice the UN or Oxfam battling Buddhist monks on the street? No, me neither.
4. Also true, but again, no reason for a military invasion, unless you're a Maoist of course, when it turns out to be all the justification you need. Unhelpfully, the oppressed masses that were 'liberated' by Mao have ever since demanded the return of the Dalai Lama. Don't those ungrateful proles don't know a good oppressive dictatorship when they see one?
5. I suspect a greater proportion of westerners have been to China than Chinese have been to Tibet. And what do Chinese see if they visit? The Chinese tourists we saw in Tibet were all lead around in large, homogenous tour groups and you can bet the violent history of the Cultural Revolution wasn't on the itinerary. The main reason to go to Tibet for a Han Chinese is the big subsidy the government gives you to resettle there in order to dilute the ethnic Tibetan population.
   
6. It's a terrible shame that Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and other recent western abuses have undermined our moral authority. But the deaths of millions of Tibetans in the Great Leap Forward and tens of thousands more in the Cultural Revolution, hardly compares to Guantanamo (where I hear the medical faciities are excellent). And it's probably best not to get started on Chinese Support for the governments of North Korea, Burma, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

Perhaps the bigger question is, should we pay any attention to the opinions of someone who lives in a country where information, and thus opinion, is state controlled?


Don't worry, I'm not gonna get all misty-eyed about the Dali Lama. But since the DL's image is banned, simply printing this page in China (including Tibet) would mean jail time (bird for petty, as they say back home). Thankfully little Picotrip is unlikely to get anyone banged up in China since you can't read it there, as I reported from Tibet in an earlier post.

Oh, and I've switched on comments, in the interests of free speech and the right to reply ;-) Let's see if we get any.

Beijing, but not beyond

Our two day train journey from Lhasa across Tibet brought us finally to Beijing. Unsurprisingly full of building work as they prepare for the Olympics, Beijing was hazy, dusty and busy. Despite the modern malls and shops, the huge old communist state buildings and higgledy piggledy hutongs made it very easy to imagine Beijing as it was just a short time ago - a sleepy communist backwater of a city. The hutongs form by far the most interesting parts of Beijing. Sadly they are being demolished at the rate of 10,000 a year to make way for anodyne modern buildings.

Our long overland journey from Nepal ended here and unexpectedly, so did the entire trip. We had planned to go on to Moscow via Mongolia on the Trans Siberian Express but a family bereavement brought us home early and put our travel plans on hold for a while. We've spent the last couple of months at home but hope to be on the road again soon. We look forward to seeing you there.

Scary paramilitary uniform on a distinctly non-threatening 16 year old policeman. Picture behind showing a cuddly granddad outfit on a the most successful mass murderer of our age, bless him. Dozens of squads of these teenage policemen constantly patrolled and marched in formation around Tiananmen Square.


Birds at the Forbidden City.


Mary in the Forbidden City.


Barbecued crickets anyone? How about a nice blackened scorpion?


Calligraphy brushes in the antique district of Liulichang.

Lhasa Shop Signs

India's position as heavyweight champ of crazy signage is secure, but Lhasa can claim a championship belt for it's store signs. Enjoy.

This was my favourite although, disappointingly, there were no auspicious rabbits for sale inside. Not even any suspicious rabbits.

Lhasa, Tibet

Our tour of Tibet finished in the capital, Lhasa. At an altitude of 12,000 feet, Lhasa is one of the world's highest cities and was the highest capital in the world when Tibet was an independent state (the highest capital now is La Paz in Bolivia, at a slightly a lower altitude than Lhasa).

The most famous landmark in Lhasa - and indeed the whole of Tibet - is the Potala Palace, built by the 5th Dali Lama and the winter home to all incarnations since. Even more sacred is the Jokhang - Lhasa's Buddhist 'cathedral' - the most sacred building in Tibet.

Sadly, large sections of Lhasa are now indistinguishable from many other Chinese cities. This seems a great shame when so many visitors were captivated by it's uniqueness only 50 years ago, before the invasion. However, even without the occupation, it's difficult to imagine that Lhasa could have escaped the 20th century completely and some development must inevitably have occurred. While the ancient culture and way of life may have seemed a living Shangri-La to Western visitors, for many Tibetans their feudal existence was a life requiring ceaseless toil just to survive. While we lament the passing of a traditional way of life, there are many benefits for the local people. Much the same can be said of the Sherpas in Nepal.

Despite the homogenized sections of the town, the old Tibetan quarter is still a unique place to visit. All day, every day, thousands of townspeople and pilgrims walk around the Jokhang in a clockwise direction (Buddhists drive on the left) using the circular Barkor road. This act of worship is accompanied by the turning of prayer wheels, gently circling within a circle.

The Potala Palace, former home of the Dali Lama.


Pilgrims prostrate themselves outside the Jokhang, Lhasa's Buddhist cathedral and the most sacred building in Tibetan Buddhism.


Monks practice debating at Sera Monastery in Lhasa.


The Brahmaputra river flows though Lhasa on its way to the sacred Ganges. Here, outside Lhasa, local people cross on a ferry.


We left Lhasa by the new train service to Beijing. The train has been open for less than a year, and has taken decades to complete. It is the world's highest altitude train, traversing a pass above 5000m with the tracks built on permafrost. Supplementary oxygen is pumped into the carriages. The railway is also highly controversial, since it allows the Chinese Government to accelerate their program of moving Han Chinese families to Tibet, changing the ethnic makeup of the country forever. While ethnic Chinese families move in, minerals and other mining products are moved out by the railway. For these reasons many western tour companies have boycotted the train and advise western travelers to do this same. It seems to me the truth is more complex. Many Tibetans use the train, including a friend of our guide, who uses it to travel to University in Beijing. In general, the economy has very obviously grown under the Chinese and offered many Tibetans new opportunities. We heard about new payment schemes to the rural poor and other measures to try and equalise the uneven development that has taken place. Undoubtedly Tibet could not have remained a closed country forever given it's size. The tragedy is that economic benefit has come with such a heavy cultural and political price.

Gompas n' Governments

Social, economic and religious life in Tibet revolves around monasteries. Gompas have also been the focus of Chinese efforts to systematically destroy Tibetan culture and Buddhism. During in the Cultural Revolution period alone, over 95% of Tibet's religious buildings were destroyed. However, some Gompas were spared and others have begun to be rebuilt under periods of comparative religious tolerance. We visited 5 of the most important monasteries as we drove through Tibet to Lhasa.

Although all Buddhists hold reincarnation as a central tenet, one of the defining features of Tibetan Buddhism is the practice of actively identifying reincarnated individuals. This is done after a prominent monk dies, when a search party is sent out to look for his reincarnation in a new born child. The practice is sometimes called 'Lamaism' and the individuals identified in this way are called 'Lamas'. The most famous is the Dali Lama himself, who's current incarnation is the 14th. One of the Gompas we visited was the base for the Panchen Lama, second only in Tibet's religious order to the big man - the DL himself.

Tashilunpo Monastery - the Panchen Lama's traditional home - was spared the worst ravages of the Cultural Revolution because of the Panchen Lama's controversial and problematic relationship with the Chinese Government. Unlike the Dalai Lama who fled into exile, the Panchen Lama welcomed the Chinese as the only practical way to reform and modernise the closed, feudal society of Tibet. He died in mysterious circumstances in 1989 and the search for the next incarnation began.

Discovery of 11th Panchen Lama has great political as well as religious significance. The Panchen Lama has traditionally confirmed the recognition of the reincarnated Dali Lama, and vice-versa. If the Chinese government could select and control the Panchen Lama, they could also select the next Dali Lama and be free of the embarrassment and irritation caused by the Tibetan government in exile.

Consequently an attempt by the Dali Lama and the monks of Tashilunpo to name the new Panchen Lama resulted in his arrest by the Chinese government. The infant boy and his family immediately disappeared and their whereabouts are still unknown, more than 10 years later. Amnesty International calls the Panchen Lama the "world's youngest political prisoner". The Chinese Communists then selected their own Panchen Lama, who is also under virtual house arrest in Beijing and rarely visits Tibet. Since the controversy, photographs of the Dali Lama and his selection for the 11th Panchen Lama have been banned throughout Tibet.

It seems incredible that a modern government could feel so threatened by a pacifist religion such as Tibetan Buddhism. A measure of the control and paranoia displayed by the Communist Government is that this blog is banned in China and Tibet! Along with BBC News and Wikipedia, little picotrip is unavailable and cannot be read here. I can only think that this is because of my post about the Tibetan government in exile but it's amazing to think that such a comprehensive screening system exists.

A worshiper gifts money and butter at Tashilhunpo Monastery. Butter fuels the lamps that light the Gompas and is also used to sculpt 'butter flowers' and other statues and idols. In feudal times, butter was almost currency in the economy with a great variety of (rather smelly) uses, including the local 'butter tea' - made from rancid butter.


The assembly hall of Sakya Monastery.


Small butter lamps at Gyantse Monastery.


The almost 90-foot 'Future' Buddha statue in Tashilhunpo Monastery.


A worshiper takes a rest at Tashilhunpo.


One of the 4 main chapels at Tashilhunpo, home of the Panchen Lama.


Monks say prayers in the assembly hall at Drepung Monastery, once home Gompa to the Dali Lama.


Worshipers wearing traditional 'Sherpa' aprons, which I find rather reminiscent of Paul Smith. I wonder if next season will see PS suits incorporate Butter Pockets?

Seven Days in Tibet

Finally after much reading, speculation and anticipation, we have arrived in Tibet. Tibet is intensely different from Nepal, or anywhere else - a unique land made fascinating by impenetrable Buddhism, Chinese occupation and the collision of the two.

Our entry into Tibet was not without incident. Mary and I hooked up with Ros and Paul in the Khumbu and after two days relaxing in Kathmandu, we crossed the border overland into the Tibet Autonomous Region, as it is called by the Chinese. The day of our departure from Nepal was marked by a Bund - a general strike called by Maoist insurgents. The Maoists have been waging a bloody campaign against the Nepali government and monarchy for many years, which has left over 10,000 Nepalis dead. Although they have been promised fresh elections this year the Maoists like to remind everyone who is really in charge by declaring a Bund and bringing everything in the country to a halt. The Maoists have never targeted tourists, since the main source of income in many of their rural strongholds is trekking. However, they are brutal to government forces and their favorite treatment of a captured Nepali policeman or soldier is skinning alive.

To avoid the makeshift Bund roadblocks we left at 3am but our driver still had to weave around a barricade of burning tyres and negotiate with local activists - often just kids. Once across the border our second day on the road started at 2am in order to traverse Chinese roadworks which are slowly turning the rocky, precipitous tracks though the mountainous border into paved highway. Our Land Cruiser had from only 2am until 4am to negotiate the tracks before work closed the road again.

Namhla was our Tibetan guide, a serene but earnest chap whose own story is a microcosm of Tibet itself. At the age of two Namhla was identified as the reincarnation of a high Lama in his home village and his parents risked everything to smuggle him across to the border to study with other exiles in Dharamsala, India (see our Dharamsala post). As an adult Namhla decided not to take his monastic vows and instead return to Tibet. He was immediately arrested by the Chinese and spent 12 months in solitary confinement in a Lhasa prison.

Tibet is a vast, high-altitude desert and scratching a living is a tough job. The desolate terrain reminds me of the American West and the land is just as dusty, lifeless and unforgiving. It's amazing that anyone can live here, much less build the fabulous monasteries and their great variety of beautiful religious artifacts. Everything - from buildings to religious icons - is literally made from dust and mud.

Difficult to describe, I'll leave it to our hotel in Shigatse to leave you with a lasting impression of Tibet:

"You come, letting you leave the fine recollection in snow the area plateau of the beauty".

'nuff said.


A Tibetan pilgrim with prayer wheel outside Sakya Monastery. Older Tibetans are never without their prayer wheels which they constantly rotate, sending heavenwards the printed prayers that are contained inside.


On Paul's advice we stopped at the *other* Everest Base Camp, on the northern side of the mountain in Tibet. The mountain looks very different and much more massive from here. Rongbuk monastery is in the foreground.


Welcome to downtown Tingri, our first overnight stop in Tibet. Towns got bigger as we neared the capital, Lhasa.


Although traditional Tibetan houses are rough-and-ready affairs, constructed of dried mud bricks, they are decorated beautifully.


Unlike Indians and Nepalis, Tibetans are very shy about having their photograph taken. Chinese border guards are even more reticent.


A gratuitous picture of Mary with a puppy! We stayed in a lovely house in the hills outside Kathmandu, owned by a friend of Paul where seven boisterous puppies occupied Mary and Ros' attention.