THE Tibet Autonomous Region is a fascinating and unique place not just because of its landscape and people, but also its various mystical funeral practices.An integral part of Tibetan culture and religion, funeral rituals practiced there today are mainly the stupa burial, celestial burial or sky burial, water burial and cremation. Inhumation, cliff burial and tree burial are also occasionally practiced in some parts of Tibet. Tibetan Buddhism, also known as Lamaism, has a history of more than 1,400 years since it was first introduced into Tibet during the reign of King Songtsan Gampo in the seventh century when Tibet was finally unified and the Tibetan language created.Throughout its development, Tibetan Buddhism has absorbed features of Indian Buddhism, Tibetan Bon religion and Chinese culture, thus appearing to be far more mystical than other forms of Buddhism.Tibetan burial customs are based on Buddhist belief in reincarnation. Tibetan people are not afraid of death. They face death calmly because they believe death does not terminate a person’s life, but indicates rebirth. During my eight-day trip to Tibet at the end of June, I was able to learn more about the dominant burial customs of water burial, sky burial and stupa burial, which still continue to be practiced today. 
When I, and a group of 30 tourists, visited Basomtso Lake in the prefecture of Nyingchi on June 21, our guide reminded us of the existence of a water burial site on a small island in the center of the lake.
I visited the site, which has many prayer flags hanging around, and found a large piece of stone with a polished pit at the center.
It is said that the pit is used by the monk, who administers the burial ritual, to chop a corpse into pieces and crush the bones into powder.
After chopping the corpse into pieces, the monk throws them into the lake where they are eaten by fish. This may explain why Tibetan people never eat fish that have been caught from a lake or a river.
Our guide told us water burials at a popular attraction like Basomtso Lake are usually practiced in the early mornings to avoid tourists.
Today, in areas where sky burial is the dominant practice, water burials are considered a way of disposing of beggars and those with a low social status. In places where there are no vultures for sky burials, water burials are widely adopted by commoners.
The second water burial site I saw was located on the southern bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo River close to the Yarlung Tsangpo River Bridge, which was about one hour’s drive from Lhasa, on my trip to Mount Qomalangma on June 23.
This site was larger than the one in Basomtso Lake. I could see several pieces of flesh and bones as well as clothes and shoes scattered along the riverside.
Three other tourists and I visited the golden stupa of the 10th Banchan Lama in Tashilunpo Monastery in Shigatse on June 26 when we returned to Lhasa from Mount Qomolangma.
Stupa is a Tibetan Buddhist religious monument and a sacred burial site. Stupa burial is the noblest funeral ritual in Tibet. It is reserved for the Dalai Lama, Bannchen Lama and Living Buddha.
After the nirvana of a high Lama, the embalmed corpse is dehydrated and wrapped with rare medicinal herbs and spices. In some cases, gold flakes and saffron are scattered on the body. Finally, the corpse is moved to the stupa and preserved for worshiping. Stupas can be elaborate or simple. They can be constructed of gold, silver, bronze, wood or earth. The type of stupa selected is based on the ranking of the Lama.
When the 10th Banchan Lama died in Shigatse in January 1989, his body was placed in the stupa in Tashilunpo Monastery.
After we left Shigatse on June 26, we stopped at the foot of a hill beside the Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway to Lhasa. About 55 kilometers from Shigatse, the hill has long been used as a sky burial site and is the most famous sky burial site in Tibet.
According to our driver Liao Siquan, a tragedy happened on the hilltop several years ago when Tibetans found a tourist stealthily taking photos of the ritual they were practicing. Tibetans asked the tourist to hand over his roll of film, but he refused. They beat the tourist to death.
Since the incident, no tourists have been allowed to climb the hilltop and approach the burial site, Liao said.
Liao, in his late 40s, has been working as a driver in Tibet since he moved from his hometown in Sichuan Province to Lhasa in 2002. He once visited the sky burial site and witnessed the whole process of the ritual practiced there.
When we came closer to the hill, we saw dozens of vultures hovering over the hilltop. Liao told us the flying vultures indicated a burial ceremony had just taken place.
Simply speaking, sky burial is the disposition of a corpse to be devoured by vultures. After the death of a Tibetan, the corpse is wrapped in white cloth and is placed in a corner of the house for three to five days. During these several days, monks are asked to chant so that the soul can be released from purgatory.
The day before the burial, family members take the clothes off the bodies and place the corpse in a fetal position.
At dawn on the selected day, the corpse is sent to the hilltop burial site. The smoldering scent of juniper invites clusters of vultures to hover above the site. Then a monk who is in charge of the burial process begins to slice the corpse.
After a signal is made, the ravenous vultures swoop down and peck at the flesh and the bones. Any remains left by the birds would tie the spirit to this life, so they must be collected while monks are invited to chant at the same time.
After the remaining flesh and bones are cremated, the ashes are thrown into the air, completing the deceased’s move to nirvana.
Sky burial may look gruesome and horrible to non-Tibetans, but the practice is adopted by most Tibetans today. Misunderstood by many people outside Tibet, sky burials have made Tibetan culture even more mysterious.
