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TIBET
BACKGROUND:
Tibet to the rest of the world is commonly associated with the
Nobel Peace winner or the spiritual Buddhist leader,
alai lama's Controversy rages over the degree of
Tibet's political independence from China in recent centuries.
Beijing stakes its claim of sovereignty back to the13th
century when Mongol hordes held sway overlarge parts of Asia.
Communist troops entered Tibet in 1950 and overthrew the
Buddhist theocracy in power. Nine years later a large-scale
uprising exploded and Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai
Lama, fled into India with thousands of followers. |
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| FACTS: |
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| Official name: |
Tibet Autonomous Region. |
| Capital: |
Lhasa. |
| People: |
Around 2.4 million of whom mostly are Tibetan,
Han
Tibetans are optimistic and happy people. Traditionally
farmers settled in small villages, mainly growing barley while
the roaming nomads earned their living by herding yaks and
sheep.
Most Tibetans are devout Buddhists while a few believe in the
older religion of Bon. Most are
devout Vajrayan Buddhism. http://buddhism.about.com/cs/vajrayana/ |
| Area: |
470,000 sq miles (1.2 million sq km), much of it
above 15,000 feet(4,500 metres), hence the name "roof of
the world." Tibet shares its border with India, Nepal,
Bhutan and Burma and the Chinese areas of Xinjiang, Qinghai,
Sichuan , Yunnan - home to another two million or so ethnic
Tibetans. |
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| Economy: |
Although believed to be rich in mineral
resources, such as lithium, borax, chromite, uranium, coal,
iron, copper and semi-precious stones, Tibet's economy is
based onlivestock -- yaks and goats -- and barley. |
| Climate: |
Tibetan winters, as might be supposed, are
fiercely cold. But for half the year, strong sunlight warms
the thin air, making most days in Lhasa comfortably mild and,
owing to protective mountains, relatively windless. Summer
temperatures hover above 30'C (high-80s F) and only to drop to
a searing -23'C (-10'F) in midwinter. The best time to visit
is from late spring to early fall. |
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| FESTIVALS: |
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| YEAR END FESTIVAL :
(February-March) |
| Dancing monks can be seen in the
Year End Festival held to dispel the evil of the old
year and auspiciously usher in the new one. |
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| LOSAR (New Year Festival) :
(February-March) |
| It is the most important festival
of Tibet. The week full of activities , On the new year's the
families unite " auspicious dinner" is offered and
the auspicious words "tashi delek" are greeted. It
is the most colourful festival of Lhasa. |
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| THE GYANTSE HORSE RACING FESTIVAL: |
| Gyantse Horse Racing Festival is a
traditional event that takes place in June and features
dances, picnics, archery and equestrian events. |
Other festival can be checked at http://www.destinationmanang.com/festivals.htm |
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FOOD:
Tibetan food is rich in protein and fat as to beat the cold,
harsh climate a rich diet is a must. And because of the rough, rugged
terrain there are hardly any fruit or vegetables actually
grown in Tibet. The
diet of most Tibetans is therefore, based on meat, milk and grain. Staples
include roasted barley flour and wheat flour, which is supplemented by
meat- traditionally yak meat or mutton, and milk (again, usually
yak's milk). Other dairy products that are commonly used include
yak's milk cheese and butter made from yak milk.
Little flavoring is used in Tibetan food; basic flavors are
salt, onions and garlic, and these are used in most dishes. Amongst the main
beverages are barley wine (very heady and extremely popular), butter oil tea
(a salty beverage which is based on tea but is more like a soup). |
Nepali Culture
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