Tibet - an overview

We have now arrived safely and well in Nepal after ten days in Tibet, with limited internet access and no access to facebook and blogging, etc, due to the Chinese internet restrictions.  There is so much to say about Tibet that I do not know where to start, so for the time being I will have to stick to a few highlights... We flew into Lhasa and spent 4 days there, before moving West to the border with Nepal via Gyangtse, Shigatse, Sakya, Shelkar, Everest National Park and base camp and Zhangmu (the miserable border town).

 

1. Tibet is intensely spiritual and everywhere you go there are people actively practising Buddhism - spinning prayer wheels as they go about their everyday business, adding colourful prayer flags to every possible location, prostrating themselves in front of temples and in the middle of main roads as part of their pilgrimage.* We were both in awe of Potala Palace in particular, strikingly red and white and set above Lhasa, and still very much an active spiritual centre for Tibetan Buddhism.

 

2. As it's quite difficult to get the Tibet permits for each area of the 'country' and the 'political situation is so uncertain, there were hardly any tourists in Tibet, and most of those we saw or met were staying in Lhasa only (on a cheap package deal from Chengdu in China).  We appreciated this most at Everest base camp (an awe-inspiring experience under normal circumstances) and for sunrise there, as we were literally the only tourists there.  How may great places in the world can you watch the sunrise alone these days? (See picture!)

 

3. The scenery is spectacular - the mountains are ENORMOUS and the skies were bright blue throughout our ten days there, with the exception of a light snowfall one afternoon in Lhasa, which coated the mountains around the city and made it even more beautiful.

 

4. The people are so friendly and welcoming, and this is in part because they are aware of the support in the West in the plight for Tibetan autonomy.  This extends from the city centres to the rural villages, and across all age groups.

 

5. Many things are unexpected - including caving with a monk who has lived alone for 18 years in a tiny monastery at the base of Everest, which is usually closed to the public by the Chinese military.  We were lucky on the day we were there in that the military had not turned up, and so the monk led us on a spiritual journey through TINY nooks and crevices underground, with the aim partly being to help us appreciate the natural beauty of the world - which we definitely did after emerging from 20 uncomfortable, dirty, cramped minutes in the dark into the bright lights at the foot of the greatest mountain on earth.

 

Low points included the food, the cold temperatures, the altitude sickness and the general lethargy we felt as a result of these!  Also, the Chinese government is continuing to stamp its mark over the Tibetan culture and cityscapes, for example by placing a Chinese flag in amongst each collection of prayer flags, and banning young people from joining the monastery without paying sufficient funds and collecting many government stamps and approvals.  This extent of this is really very upsetting when you hear about it from within Tibet itself and from Tibetans.

 

*Not sure if 'pilgramage'is religious-ly correct, but you get the idea...

The X Factor

Of course, I am a big fan of the X factor. I love the feel-good factor and I love that Ben likes it too. It means we can, for once, indulge in some trashy television together, rather than me ferreting for the remote under his scornful eye.... So, OBV, I was dismayed to discover that you can't get UK TV online due to being in the wrong "region" - EVEN the X Factor! Outrageous.*

But I digress... the point of this post is to point you all in the direction of the Chinese embassy website, where Ambassador Fu Ying has posted her thoughts and commentary on this year's X Factor final! If I, as a Brit in the PRC, have to miss out on this national institution, I am pleased to see it being taken seriously by my counterpart (erm, OK - not quite - maybe one day?) in the UK. Nice one, ambassador!

* I kept up with the Jedward fiasco, and the Dannii v. Cheryl fashion debate online, natch - but it's just not the same.

Apologies, friends...

...the government cut me off!

Back now with a vengeance and accompanied by Lisa and Sophie, my current partners in crime in Beijing!

Updates to follow....

Obama in Beijing!

Obama is in Beijing!! This is providing a lot of excitement for the Beijingers and myself, and in some cases, a little confusion.....

Here is the real deal disembarking in Beijing. I'm impressed that he's managed to outwardly suppress any disorientation and bewilderment!

As would be expected, the sun is shining in clear blue skies, so we are enjoying Beijing at its best. The weather forecast even suggests temperatures might rise above freezing, which would be a treat!

In terms of the visit, Obama is visiting as part of his tour of Asia, and is attending a summit with Hu Jintao to discuss trade, climate change and economic issues, among other issues.

China Daily reports that it's all going well (natch!), and that an agreement has been reached between the two leaders on many issues already, as per this newspaper article. Further, it has been cited that Obama fully supports at one-China policy, in respect of Taiwan, and that he believes that uncensored internet access for all is a "source of strength" to all nations. Whether his comments will have any effect on the availability of certain internet sites, including Blogger and Facebook, in China remains to be seen....

A lot of these issues were raised on Monday during the "town hall meeting" (a traditional Chinese-style meeting) that Obama held with top university students in Shanghai, where he fielded questions from the floor. In this meeting, Obama stated that the purpose of his visit is largely to help him better understand China and the Chinese people. Commentary suggests that Obama is trying to win over the Chinese youth in a similar way to that which won him the US elections, using his skills as an orator and "natural performer". I hope his visit achieves both of these objectives! In the meantime, I'm staking out the Forbidden City in case he pays it a visit...

National Day!

Hats off the the Chinese, they certainly know how to put on a display!

On 1 October 2010, the People's Republic of China celebrated 60 years of Socialist rule, and championed its place in global history, present and future. It was a celebration of its political rule and military presence, demonstrated by parades of tanks, missiles and soldiers through the streets of Beijing, but also a nod to their sporting prowess with many Olympic stars riding on huge floats. To top it all off, and to my great surprise, the weather shenanigans worked and the blue skies were fantastic and a huge contrast to the mist when I left on Wednesday night!

I decided not the stay in China for the National Day celebrations, and I thought I might regret this nearer the time; and in a way, it was a shame for me not to be part of the huge party in Beijing. However, strict traffic control and tight security meant that only 30,000 people or so were able to watch the parade, and several thousand more were involved in it by invitation of the Chinese government. If you were not one of these people (which I was not, no doubt due to my lack of guanxi!), then you were 'encouraged' to stay at home and watch it on TV - which was certainly impressive in any event. As my apartment is located bang in the middle of the celebrations and there was a ban on going on my balcony, or in fact entering or leaving the building, I am glad I came to Singapore for these 6 days.

As always, the fireworks in the evening looked spectacular, and demonstrated just how special this day was for the PRC.

Autonomy in action

Key points about the traffic control issued today for the rehearsals of National Day celebrations:

1. All the stores on the streets of Dawang Lu and Jianguomen Lu must close at 1:00pm on September 18.
2. All the windows of the office and residential buildings on Dawang Lu and Jianguomen Dajie must be closed, and the viewing of those streets through windows or gathering near those roads will be prohibited.
3. All residents, staff and visitors living around Dawang Lu, Jianguomen Dajie and Guanghua Lu have to leave before 1:00pm on September 18 and will be able to return after 7:30pm.
The restrictions may only affect buildings directly overlooking the relevant streets. It’s unclear whether buildings must be vacated at 1:00pm, or whether people simply won’t be able to leave their buildings between 1:00pm and 7:30pm. Area shops will certainly be closed.

As I live and work in the affected area, I am unclear where I am supposed to go, and how I might be expected to get there. Only in China!