Lhasa, Tibet

It is an incredibly daunting task to try to summarize our 10-day trip in Tibet. As I was uploading photos yesterday, S started to write the blog and, after an hour of serious writing, the power went out on our block in Kathmandu and his work was lost. Here, I will try to capture the highlights of our trip but there will always be so much left unsaid or not fully explained.
On the night of the 8th, we boarded a 24-hour train to Lhasa, the capital of the Tibetan region. We were part of a 4-person group and were so delighted to be put together with Brandon and Jill, an American and Scot who were the best possible couple for us. The train was a wonderful first glance into Tibetan life- Tibetan women were wandering into our train car offering us Tibetan treats, such as yak cheese, sheep cheese, biscuits, and candies. They were wearing sheep skin dresses and had colorful ribbons tied into their very long braided hair, which was wrapped around their head. Dozens of women came over throughout the course of the day and we were very appreciative of their kindness. Halfway through the ride, all of the women started dancing and singing to Tibetan music, fillng the car with laughter and smiles. We have never experienced such a spectacle on a Chinese train before.
In addition to the cultural immersion, the train provided us with some of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. 80% of the train ride was over 4000 meters and the train also crossed over 3 mountain passes over 5,000 meters, the highest S and I have ever been.
To most Tibetans, they think of their province as a separate country from China- they have a different language, food, culture and religion than the 96% of percent of those on mainland China, which are the Han majority. In addition to all of this, they look completely different, with darker features, wind-burned cheeks and a Tibetan style of dress. When we got off the world's highest altitude train, we knew we were in a different world as our guide placed white prayer scarves around our necks and greeted us with the Tibetan "Tashi Delek".
The Tibetans are very religious and it is their tradition to make an anuual pilgrimmage to either Lhasa in the east or Mount Kailash in the west. Throughout our 4 days in Lhasa, we were surrounded by Tibetans from all over the province, circumambulating religious sites (called a kora) while spinning their prayer wheels, bowing and praying before the monasteries and offering gifts of melted yak butter to the temples within. We visited very beautiful religious sites, such as the Jokhang Temple, Potala Palace, Norbulingka Palace and the Ramoche Temple, but by far the best part was watching the intensity with which the Tibetans practiced their religion.
A stark contrast to the deeply spiritual pilgrims was the high police and army presence around the Tibetan quarter, especially around the religious sites. The army were posted in front of the Jokhang Temple and the other sites with their rifles cocked and were also patroling rooftops around the area. We were told that the number of armed forces strongly increased after the the riots in Tibet in March 2008. Beyond the intimidating presence of these officers of the law, there is also a strong control over what can be worshipped. Photos of the present or past Dalai Lamas are prohibited inside and outside the temples. All artifacts and artwork in the temples must be approved by the Chinese government before being installed. A Tibetan town's temple was recently burned because it was built without governemtn permission. Additionally, Tibetans worry for their safety when speaking about their struggles with the government. Most are strongly for their independence from China however, as the likelihood is close to zero, most hope for autonomy from the Chinese government. We met several English-speaking Tibetans who spoke of the Chinese government's desire to Han-ify the Tibetans. The government has offered financial incentives for the Han to migrate to the Tibetan region and open businesses. As a result, Tibetan businesses are pushed out for the Han to sell Tibetan wares to the pilgrims and tourists. Our guide told us that Lhasa was becoming very Chinese and told us he feared that his homeland would soon no longer be a place he and his community felt safe and comfortable. He told us that he wished to move to India but feared the consequences that the government would give to his family as punishment for his migration. Another woman we met told us that she felt "Tibet would no longer be Tibet anymore" as the Chinese are trying to squeeze out Tibetan culture and lifestyle. Our time in Lhasa was loaded with incredibly difficult and complicated conversations as we tried to understand the Tibetan perspective. It was very upsetting as we saw the tension and witnessed the suppression of Tibetan culture.