Cobblestones adorn the bed of Nyangchu River when the water falls. Dondrup Tenpa, 24 years old, picks up these stones which he treasures very much, cleans them carefully and puts them into a bag. These hand-sized, flat and rounded pebbles will be carved by Dondrup Tenpa with exquisite images of Budda and eight auspicious symbols,…

The Grand Summons Ceremony is held from the 4th to the 25th day of the first Tibetan month. Lamas from the Zhaibung, Sera, and Ganden Monasteries gather mainly in the Jokhang Monastery in Lhasa for the recitation of Buddhist sutras, examinations for the Buddhist academic degree of Geshi, alms given by various benefactors, religious rituals,…

For thousands of years, there was an ancient road walked by human feet and horse hoofs in the mountains of Southwest China, bridging the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with other areas in China.This ancient commercial passage dubbed the “Ancient Tea-Horse Road“, stretching across more than 4,000 kilometers mainly in Southwest China’s Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and the…

The Tibetan mastiff originates from China’s Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is considered to be one of the oldest precious breeds in the world. Some researchers even believe that the Tibetan mastiff is the ancestor of many large mastiff breeds on the European continent. There have been many documents about it; however, detailed and complete information is…

The Tibetan New Year is the most important festival that the Lhasa people celebrate. On the dawn of the first day of the 1st month, according to the Tibetan calendar, the Lhasa people, donned in their holiday’s best, go to fetch the new year’s first bucket of water from the source of a river, holy…

Many of Tibet’s traditional customs and habits have been passed down through history. In this part of the world, Tibetan and solar calendars are in use. Funerals and weddings are arranged according to Tibetan customs. When one dies, lamas are invited to chant sutras to redeem the sins of the dead. Relatives of the deceased…

After 200 years, the Tubo Kingdom experienced increasing internal conflict. Various royal families, monks, lay officials, Buddhist forces, and anti-Buddhist forces were locked in a life-and-death fight. When the anti-Buddhist forces managed to kill Chanbo Zhangya, who had been in charge of monks, and later Tubo King Chiribajun, Darma Wodongtsan, came to the throne. Darma…

Tibetan handicrafts have become popular around the world with the tourism flourishing in Tibet. Popular Tibetan handicrafts include: carpets from Gyangze County in Xigaze Prefecture, aprons from Gyaidexiu Town in Lhoka Prefecture, pulu from Chanang County in Lhoka Prefecture, Tibetan quilts from Nanggarze County in Xigaze Prefecture, wood bowls from Gyacha County in Xigaze Prefecture,…

In the harsh conditions of the Tibetan high plateau it is important to have a dress protecting one against the adversities of weather–coldness, wind, and strong solar radiation during the summer. The most important part of Tibetan clothing is therefore a warm and heavy coat, felt boots and various kinds of caps and hats, often…

Get out of Qamdo, walk into the Zhujue Mountain, our destination is Riwoqe County. At the end of May, the azalea only blooms at high altitude of the eastern Tibet. But along the way, a big slice of purple Gesang flower sea still could be seen. It seems that the Gesang flower in eastern Tibet…