Geography
Tibet is a rich and beautiful land is terms of its nature and unspoiled culture. Tibet is located in south-West frontier of China. Tibet is bounded by Sichuan, Yuannan, Qinghai and Xinjiang on the north; India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Burma to the east and south and Kashmir on the west.
Geographically, Tibet can be divided into three parts, the east, north and south. The eastern part is forest region, which has occupied 25 percent of the Tibet Land. Virgin forests run the entire breadth and length of this part of Tibet. The northern part is open grassland, where nomads Nomad and yak and sheep dwell in this part of Tibet. This part has occupied approximately 50 percent land of Tibet. The southern and central part is agricultural region which occupied 25 percent land of Tibet. With all major Tibetan cities and towns such as Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse and Tsetang located in this part of Tibet, it is considered as the cultural center of Tibet. The total area of the Tibet Autonomous Region is 1,200,000 square kilometers and its population is 1,890,000. The region is administratively divided into one municipality and six prefectures. The municipality is Lhasa, while the six prefectures are Shigatse, Ngari, Lhaoka, Chamdo, Nakchu and Nyingtri (kongpo). The People's Government of the Tibet autonomous region exercises the highest administrative authority in Tibet.
Tibet history
Tibetan history can be traced back to long time ago. However, the written history of Tibet only dates back to the 7th century when Shrongchong Gampo, the 33rd Tibetan king, who had sent his minister Sambhota to India to study Sanskrit who on his return invented the present Tibetan scripts, based on Sanskrit. Tibet's history can be divided into four periods.
1. The Period Srongchong Gampo's
This period of the Tibetan history begins from Nyatri Tsanpo, the first of the Tsanpos, in 127 B.C [Deferent historians has given different views in this date how ever this date is taken from the white Annales, a reliable book on Tibetan history] and ends in 842 A.D. During this period 42 Tsanpos had ruled over the Tibet. Among them Srongchong Gampo's rule was considered as the zenith. Shrongchong Gampo was an outstanding ruler; he unified Tibet, changed his capital to Lhasa, sent Sambhota to India to study Sanskrit and promulgated a script in the Tibet. He was married with Princess Wencheng of the tang Court and Pricess Bhrikuti Debi of Nepal, built the Potala and the temple and the temple of Jokhang.
2. The period of Decentralization
This period of the Tibetan history starts in 842 A.D. the year of Lang Dharma's assassination, and ended in about 1260 A.D, when Pagpa, the Abbot of Sakya monastery, became a vassal of Kublai Khan, the first Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. During this period a little is known in history except that Tibet became decentralized into a number of petty principalities.
3. The period of Sakya, Pagdu, and Karmapa
This period of the Tibetan history starts in 1260 A. D. with Sakya's rule over the Tibet, followed first by Pagdu's rule in Lhaoka and then by Karmara's rule in the Tsang region(Shigatse). The sakya period was the time when Tibet officially became an inseparable part of China. This period ended in 1642 A.D. During this period political powers centered in the three regions of Sakya, Pagdu, and tsang successively ruled over Tibet.
4. The period of the gandan Podrang's Administration
This period of the Tibetan history starts in 1642 A. D, when the 5th Dalai Lama overtook the ruling power from the Tsang ruler. It basically ended in 1951 when Tibet was liberated and came to a complete end in 1959 when rebellion led by the Dalai Lama was pacified and the People's Government of the Tibet, Autonomous Region was set up.
People of Tibet
The population of Tibet is 1,890,000. The majority of its population is Tibetans. Tibet is so thinly populated that it averages out 1.68 persons per square kilometers. About 90 percent population of Tibet lives on farming and husbandry. Farmers live in the valleys of Tsangpo River (Brahmaputra) and its major tributaries Kyichu and Nuuang-chu. This area produces barely, wheat, peas and rape-seed, the great northern grassland which occupies a good half of Tibet is the home of nomads, yaks and sheep. Nomads have no fixed abodes, and keep roaming along fine pasture together with all their belongings-tents and Livestock. The remaining population, approximately 10 percent lives in towns earning their living mainly on business and handicraft, and many are factory workers and government officials.
People are different from any other nationality both at home in china and in the world. Religion seems almost every thing. Many of them live for the next life, rather than for the present. They accumulate deeds of virtue and pray for the final liberation-enlightenment. Lips and hands of the elders are never at still, either busied in murmuring of the six syllable Buddhist mantras "OM Ma Ni Pad Me Hum" (Hail the Jewel in the Lotus) or in rotation of hand prayer wheels, or counting of the prayer beads. Pious pilgrims from every corner of Tibet day to day gather at Jokhang Temple and Bharkor Street offering donations and praying heart and soul for their own Selves, for their friends.
Visitors to Tibet can make out folks from different regions judging by costumes and dialects. Folks from agricultural regions dress in woolen home-woven gowns, and those from the grassland clad in sheepskin. Men folk from Chamdo wear huge tassels of black or red silk which were used in old days for protection in fight, while the Lhasa residents are more stylish and modern. Dialects in Tibetan are in variety, but mainly can be categorized into four: Lhasa, Tsang (Shigatse and Gyantse), Chamdo and Amdo.
Climate and weather
Normally, the Tibetan climate is not as insensitive as the people imagine it to be. The best time to travel to Tibet is from April to the beginning of November, after which temperatures start to plummet. The central Tibet, including Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse and Tsedang, generally has very mild weather from April to November, though July and August can be rainy - these two months usually see around half of Tibet's annual rainfall. October and November often bring some dazzling clear weather and daytime temperatures can be quite comfortable at Tibet's lower altitude. The coldest months in Tibet are from December to February. Early May and early October are the best time to visit Mt. Everest. Due to the clear weather, you have great chance to see Mt. Everest's true face. From December to February, it's too cold to go to this region. But the magnetism of Mt. Everest always attracts people anytime of the year.
Festivals in Tibet
Tibetan New Year (February or March)
It is the greatest festival in Tibet. In ancient times when the peach tree was in blossom, it was considered as the starting of a new year. From the systematization of the Tibetan calendar in 1027 AD., the first day of the first month became fixed as the New Year. On the New Year's Day, families unite "auspicious dipper" is offered and the auspicious words "tashi delek" are greeted.
Butter oil Lantern Festival (February or March)
This festival takes place on the 15th of the first lunar month. Huge yak-butter sculptures are placed around Lhasa's Barkhor circuit.
Saga Dawa Festival (May or June)
Saga Dawa festival is the holiest in Tibet, the memorable occasions coincide on this day, Buddha's birth and Buddha's enlightenment. Almost every person within Lhasa joins in circumambulations round the city and spends their late afternoon on picnic at "Dzongyab Lukhang" park at the foot of Potala.
Gyantse Horse Race & Archery Festival (May or June)
Horse race and archer are very popular in Tibet, and Gyantse enjoys prestige of being the earliest in history by starting in 1408. In the context of early period, horse race, archery and shooting followed by a few days' entertainment or picnicking. Presently, ball games, track and field events, folk songs and dances, barter trade are in addition on them.
Changtang Chachen Horse Race Festival (August)
There are many horse racing festivals in Tibet, the one in Nagqu of Northern Tibet is the greatest one, which takes place in August as this period is the golden season on Northern Tibet's vast grassland. Herdsmen, on their horsebacks, in colorful dresses, carrying tents and local products, come to Nagqu. Various exciting programs are held, such as horse racing, yak racing, archery, horsemanship and commodity fair.
Shoton Festival (August)
Shoton is one of the major festivals in Tibet which is called Tibetan Opera Festival too. The founder of the Gelugpa (Yellow Sect of Buddhism), Tsongkhapa set the rule that Buddhists can cultivate themselves only indoor in summer, to avoid killing other creatures carelessly as creatures are most active in summer. This rule must be carried out till the seventh lunar month. Since the middle of 17th century, the Fifth Dalai Lama added opera performance to this festival. Famous Tibetan opera troupes perform in Norbulingka (Dalai Lama's summer palace).
Bathing Festival (September)
It is believed that when the sacred planet Venus appears in the sky, the water in the river becomes purest and cures diseases. During its appearance for one week, usually the end of the seventh and beginning of the eighth lunar months, all the people in Tibet go into the river to wash away the dust of the previous year.
Kungbu Traditional Festival (November or December)
Long time ago, when Tibet was in danger of large scale invasion, the Kongpo people sent out an army to defend their homeland. It was in September and the soldiers worried that they might miss the New Year, highland barley wine and other good things. So people had the Tibetan New Year on 1st October ahead of time. To memorize those brave soldiers Kongpo people present three sacrifices and stay up at night from then on. And now it has become the Kongpo Festibal for entertainment like Kongpo dancing, horse race, archery and shooting.
Harvest Festival (September)
The farmers in Lhasa, Gyantse and Shangnan celebrate their bumper harvest in this time. During that time, people enjoy with horse racing games, Costume fashion show, songs and dance Archery and picnic etc.