The Tibetan people and their
religion have been inseparable.
Even in their earliest myths one
finds references to Tibetan
religious beliefs. Originally,
the Bon religion dominated
Tibet. After the introduction of
Buddhist statues and later,
sanskrit documents from India,
Buddhism crept increasingly into
Tibetan culture. Tibetan
Buddhism is the culmination of
some early Bon beliefs, Indian
buddhist texts and several great
lamas. Buddhism and politics had
been interwoven since King
Songsten Gampo married a Chinese
and a Nepali princess, who were
both intergral in the emergence
of Buddhism. It was the Fifth
Dalai Lama who actually built
the Potala Palace as the
government seat and religious
center. A theocracy had
prevailed until 1951.
After centuries of virtual
isolation Tibet is cautiously
opening up to the western world.
Officially, China has only
opened the doors for travelers
these past few years. A visit to
Tibet is an incredible
experience, although it is not
for the faint-hearted. The
traveling is difficult and
unpredictable. The
infrastructure is poor to
non-existent, therefore turning
a regular tour into a complete
adventure. Traveling in Tibet is
not your average trip but an
experience of a lifetime, which
we invite you to take with us.
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, in
the southwest of China, has long
enjoyed reputation of being "the
Roof of the World", where Tibet
Autonomous Region with an
average altitude of over 4,000
meters and an area of 1.2
million square kilometers
occupies a major portion. The
majestic Tibetan highland stands
on of the world and its unique
cultural tradition has an
international fame. This is a
land of vast contrast with
snow-capped mountains offering
beauty unsurpassed and deep
tropical rainforests in another,
and with open pastureland
against imposing mountains and
cornier forests. The great
Himalayas lies in its south with
the towering Mt. Qomolangma
standing above all world's
peaks. |