DOCSLIB.ORG

Tibet Revisited—TIPMEX-86 Eric A

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Tibet Revisited—TIPMEX-86 Eric A Elmar R. Reiter,1 J. D. Sheaffer,1 J. E. Bossert,1 Tibet Revisited—TIPMEX-86 Eric A. Smith,2 Greg Stone,3 Robert McBeth,4 and Qinglin Zheng5 Abstract compared to dust, sand, and gravel, invited the drivers to demonstrate their daring, especially during passing maneu- A long-planned field-measurement program to determine surface- vers at breakneck speeds around curves, along precipices and energy budgets at two sites in Tibet was carried out during June 1986 in collaboration with scientists from the State Meteorological Ad- over hill crests. ministration, Academy of Meteorological Sciences, People's Repub- Peasants in sheepskin coats, carrying bundles of food, hay, lic of China. The data set obtained in Tibet is unique for this remote firewood, and even an occasional yak-skin boat, still popu- region of the world. The present report describes some of the expe- lated the highways. So did pony or donkey carts. But gleam- riences of the United States scientific team and its medical officer, M. Otteman of Ft. Collins, Colorado. The data are presently being ar- ing bicycles with well-dressed ladies and gentlemen pedaling chived on computer tapes. Preliminary analysis results are presented at leisurely pace, new Isuzu trucks, Nissan, and Toyota lim- as typical examples of the conditions encountered at the two experi- ousines and 4-wheelers started to clog the roads as we neared mental sites near Lhasa (3635 m) and Nagqu (4500 m). Lhasa, the imposing capital of Xizang Autonomous Region. The air was filled with the constant blaring of automobile horns to disperse the throngs of bicyclists, pedestrians, cattle, and sheep. The Potala palace on its majestic perch on top of a 1. Return to Tibet dominating hill still gleamed with its gilt roofs, but a huge TV antenna with its Eiffel Tower shaped struts and girders now For most of the United States team (i.e. the authors of this competes as a new landmark on a smaller hill that formerly report and Merlin Otteman, a Ft. Collins surgeon and the carried the lamaist medical college. Watching television has expedition's medical officer) the 7000-m peaks and glaciers become one of the foremost communal evening pleasures in of eastern Tibet were a formidable barrier between Chengdu, Lhasa. Sichuan, and an unknown land of adventure, described by We gaped as we drove by the new Lhasa Hotel, replete with travelers such as Harrer, Sven Hedin, and Han Suyin. For gushing fountain, Holiday Inn architecture (and manage- the senior author the view spreading underneath the vintage ment) and a parking lot full of modern buses, taxis, and wait- Boeing 707 evoked memories of a previous journey into the ing chauffeurs. We were even more surprised as we pulled up unknown (Reiter and Reiter, 1981). Would Tibet still be the to the entrance of the spanking new Tibet Guest House (Xi- same, with dusty roads, a few old Chinese "Liberation" zang Binguan), bedecked with bunting and Chinese lanterns. trucks among pedestrians and donkey carts, curious natives The senior author's credibility, after having warned the ex- swinging prayer wheels, spartan accommodations with the pedition members about spartan living conditions, was pervasive smell of burning yak dung and rancid yak butter about to receive its final blow. (Fig. 1). candles? We were still unpacking suitcases when a din from fire- Stepping into bright sunshine and brisk mountain air at crackers, drums, and cymbals made us rush outside. The Lhasa Airport was a welcome relief after the muggy heat of opening ceremony for the new guest house was in full swing, Beijing and Chengdu. It was 1 June 1986, and the monsoonal with Party Vice-Chairman Mao Rubo cutting a red ribbon rains were expected soon. The old outhouse near the runway and a swarm of dignitaries suffering through interminable offered a familiar sight, but the "fragrant" adobe structure of speeches and then descending on a beautiful buffet of delica- years past had yielded to a concrete edifice of similar design cies to which we were graciously invited. Mao turned out to and unadorned functionality. There, again, were a few Tibe- be an ex-meteorologist and became a highly interested sup- tan girls giggling at the new arrivals and coyly disappearing porter of our scientific goals. Pretty Tibetan waitresses with into the outhouse if a camera was raised to the eye. But a new long, dark hair, decked out in touristic adaptations of Tibe- hotel or dormitory structure near the gate of the air field fore- tan costumes, served warm beer and cola and—lo and be- boded changes. We did not have to worry about luggage. hold—ice cubes, which did not prompt rapid trips to the There now was a downtown airline office where baggage bathroom, because they were made from boiled water. could be retrieved conveniently later during the day. We were Where had the dusty maidens of 1980 with their tangled whisked along the 60-mile road to Lhasa, now black-topped hairdos gone? (We still found them roaming around the bur- but still bumpy. The better tire traction offered by tar as geoning "free markets" and in the remote villages, but they appear to be a vanishing breed.) We ventured out into the old part of Lhasa, by taxi from 1 Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. the hotel, but per pedes apostolorum back, because cabs are 2 Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla. impossible to find once you have abandoned them. The tem- 3 Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, N. Mex. ple in the heart of town does as brisk a business as ever, but a 4 National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo. new, wide and open square in front, flanked by new buildings 5 Academy of Meteorological Sciences, State Meteorological Ad- with traditional architecture, brings its role as communal ministration, Beijing, People's Republic of China. hub into better focus. Whereas in 1980 tourist were an un- © 1987 American Meteorological Society known species, hence souvenir trading was an art yet to be Bulletin American Meteorological Society 607 Unauthenticated | Downloaded 10/03/21 08:06 PM UTC 608 Vol. 68, No. 6, June 1987 learned, and souvenir hunters could hardly bag a single, overpriced item of dubious quality, now hawkers with layers of turquoise and coral jewelry around their necks descend on flocks of tourists and follow them, thrusting out their wares, quoting prices in English or punching them into their pocket calculators, inviting response bids by asking "How much?" or by holding the calculator keyboard under your nose. There are no fixed prices and lively bargaining with a street vendor immediately attracts an interested audience and competitive "merchants." Lamas selling printed prayer flags, penitents prostrating themselves in a muscle-wrenching, clockwise procession around the temple, sage brush "incense" smoldering in in- cinerators attest to the religious presence in Tibet. As in other cities in China, there now are thriving "free markets" where anything from yak butter, meat, vegetables, and clothing is FIG. 1. TIPMEX team (McBeth and Stone had already left for sold from open stalls. These markets, not present in 1980, can the U.S.). Front row: Ring Wang, Changhan Zhu, Pengju Wang, now be found even in the back country, however sanitary Yijun Liu, James Bossert, Shuhua Li, Xiepong Zhao, Yu Uang; Back conditions as well as quality of lodging and food decreases in row: Eric Smith, Elmar Reiter, Merlin Otteman, John Sheaffer, proportion to the distance from Lhasa. Wanlong Chen. Our second field station at Nagqu, a small town of about 3 000 population that spreads out on the high (4500 m) and airline officials between Beijing, Chengdu, and Lhasa, but windy plateau about 300 km to the north of Lhasa gave our eventually everything showed up intact at our point of team a glimpse of Tibet before the tourist invasion. This destination. settlement lies on the (now paved) Lhasa-Golmud-Xining Finding suitable measurement sites was not a trivial matter highway, has a newly built hotel (without amenities) and is as and required long and arduous negotiations with officialdom. bleak as the surrounding hills. The frequent hail squalls do Besides the requirements of site representativeness and suit- nothing to cheer up the traveler. The trip between Lhasa and able wind fetch for turbulence measurements, there were ad- Nagqu is not without rewards. It leads through the Trans- ditional boundary conditions: accessibility without excessive himalayas (Nyainqentanglha Shan) with spectacular vistas commuting expenses (more difficult to meet in Lhasa than in of glacier-capped peaks, some in excess of 7 000 m, and fol- Nagqu) and site security (we ended up hiring Tibetan guards lows the upper reaches of the Lhasa River. The breakneck to pitch their tents, or spread out their bed rolls, inside the speed with which our drivers negotiated the bumpy road fenced perimeter of each site, thus safeguarding our ane- made the journey less enjoyable and caused damage to some mometers against conversion into prayer wheels). The Lhasa of our instruments. Working at 4 500 m is no picnic either. site was located about 300-m north of the Yarlungzangbo Sleep is difficult for lack of oxygen, and loss of appetite is as River, 10 km to the west of our hotel (or 15 km from "down- much due to high-altitude syndrome as to the limited re- town" Lhasa) on flat and open ground belonging to the sources available to the cooks. The United States and Chi- Agricultural Experiment Station. Even though not irrigated, nese teams took shifts in manning the Nagqu station. Seeing the soil was rather moist because of the high ground-water the Nagqu relief team take off from Lhasa resembled watch- table, evident from a lagoon of stagnant water approximately ing a "chain gang" being marched off to labor.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Lhasa Jokhang – Is the World's Oldest Timber Frame Building in Tibet? André Alexander*
    The Lhasa Jokhang – is the world's oldest timber frame building in Tibet? * André Alexander Abstract In questo articolo sono presentati i risultati di un’indagine condotta sul più antico tempio buddista del Tibet, il Lhasa Jokhang, fondato nel 639 (circa). L’edificio, nonostante l’iscrizione nella World Heritage List dell’UNESCO, ha subito diversi abusi a causa dei rifacimenti urbanistici degli ultimi anni. The Buddhist temple known to the Tibetans today as Lhasa Tsuklakhang, to the Chinese as Dajiao-si and to the English-speaking world as the Lhasa Jokhang, represents a key element in Tibetan history. Its foundation falls in the dynamic period of the first half of the seventh century AD that saw the consolidation of the Tibetan empire and the earliest documented formation of Tibetan culture and society, as expressed through the introduction of Buddhism, the creation of written script based on Indian scripts and the establishment of a law code. In the Tibetan cultural and religious tradition, the Jokhang temple's importance has been continuously celebrated soon after its foundation. The temple also gave name and raison d'etre to the city of Lhasa (“place of the Gods") The paper attempts to show that the seventh century core of the Lhasa Jokhang has survived virtually unaltered for 13 centuries. Furthermore, this core building assumes highly significant importance for the fact that it represents authentic pan-Indian temple construction technologies that have survived in Indian cultural regions only as archaeological remains or rock-carved copies. 1. Introduction – context of the archaeological research The research presented in this paper has been made possible under a cooperation between the Lhasa City Cultural Relics Bureau and the German NGO, Tibet Heritage Fund (THF).
    [Show full text]
  • An Annotated List of Birds Wintering in the Lhasa River Watershed and Yamzho Yumco, Tibet Autonomous Region, China
    FORKTAIL 23 (2007): 1–11 An annotated list of birds wintering in the Lhasa river watershed and Yamzho Yumco, Tibet Autonomous Region, China AARON LANG, MARY ANNE BISHOP and ALEC LE SUEUR The occurrence and distribution of birds in the Lhasa river watershed of Tibet Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China, is not well documented. Here we report on recent observations of birds made during the winter season (November–March). Combining these observations with earlier records shows that at least 115 species occur in the Lhasa river watershed and adjacent Yamzho Yumco lake during the winter. Of these, at least 88 species appear to occur regularly and 29 species are represented by only a few observations. We recorded 18 species not previously noted during winter. Three species noted from Lhasa in the 1940s, Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata, Solitary Snipe Gallinago solitaria and Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica, were not observed during our study. Black-necked Crane Grus nigricollis (Vulnerable) and Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus are among the more visible species in the agricultural habitats which dominate the valley floors. There is still a great deal to be learned about the winter birds of the region, as evidenced by the number of apparently new records from the last 15 years. INTRODUCTION limited from the late 1940s to the early 1980s. By the late 1980s the first joint ventures with foreign companies were The Lhasa river watershed in Tibet Autonomous Region, initiated and some of the first foreign non-governmental People’s Republic of China, is an important wintering organisations were allowed into Tibet, enabling our own area for a number of migratory and resident bird species.
    [Show full text]
  • The Biggest, the Grandest, Luxurious & the Most Epic Bus
    WELCOME The Biggest, The Grandest, Luxurious & The Most Epic Bus Journey’s in The World Introduction An all-encompassing journey of magnificent menus, outstanding scenery and incredible cultural heritage, this itinerary brings you face-to-face with Europe’s & Asia’s finest attractions. Celebrate Catalonia with a small-group pintxo (tapas) tasting, enjoy a tasting of robust Tuscan reds and ascend to the top of Europe on Mount Stanserhorn to learn about regional fauna and flora from a Swiss Ranger. You will meet passionate locals along the way who will share insider knowledge and enrich your experience. See all the 'stans (well, most of them) on this comprehensive Bus tour through Central Asia. Explore natural landscapes like Kaindy Lake's sunken forest and witness the hustle and bustle of capital cities and their bazaars, cathedrals, and historical sites. Along the way, you'll Eat like the locals and Sleep in Yurts / Hotels to get even closer to this underexplored destination. Start in Volgograd and end in Moscow! With the Historical tour Remarkable Russia, you have a Epic Road tour taking you through Volgograd, Russia and Moscow, Remarkable Russia includes accommodation in a hotel as well as an expert guide, meals, transport and more. Treat yourself with the epic Himalayan panorama before enjoying a roller- coaster ride to vibrant Kathmandu. The thrilling Tibet Nepal tours are expertly crafted to fulfill your ultimate fantasy to delve into two of the most fascinating Himalayan Kingdoms across the Mighty Himalayas. we promise you quality one-stop service for the entire journey, with safety guaranteed.
    [Show full text]
  • 15 Days Sichuan-Tibet Hwy Northern Route Tour
    [email protected] +86-28-85593923 15 days Sichuan-Tibet Hwy northern route tour https://windhorsetour.com/sichuan-yunnan-tibet-tour/sichuan-tibet-hwy-northern-route-tour Chengdu Kangding Ganzi Dege Chamdo Tengchen Nagqu Namtso Lhasa The longest and most diverse overland tour we offer, travel along the Sichuan Tibet northern highway on an adventure that takes you closer to the people, and their lifestyle than anything else. Type Private Duration 15 days Theme Overland Trip code WT-405 Price From ¥ 14,600 per person Itinerary This is one of the two main routes of Sichuan-Tibet Highway which links the Tibetan areas of Western Sichuan with mainland Tibet. This route is longer than the southern route but less affected by rain during summer. The journey goes through the wild, mountainous and remote Tibetan areas of Western Sichuan, you will be amazed to see that Tibetan culture is in many ways better preserved here. The route offers an insight to the rich culture, costume and tradition of Khampa people and their lifestyle, monasteries are unavoidable part of their day to day life and from there you will feel their faith in religion. Moreover, the high altitude grasslands in the northern area is the home for thousands of Tibetan nomads and their animals, the black and short yak wool made nomads tents are can be visited if there are not far from the road. This journey could be very tough and challenging, due to its geographical remoteness and poor infrastructure and facilities. (Note: Due to the closure of Chamdo - the capital city of Chamdo Prefecture to foreign tourists, this travel route is not available currently.
    [Show full text]
  • Private Tibet Ground Tour
    +65 9230 4951 PRIVATE TIBET GROUND TOUR 2 to go Tibet Trip. We have different routes to suit your time and budget. Let me hear you! We can customise the itinerary JUST for you! CLASSIC 12 DAYS TIBET TOUR DAY 1 Take the QINGZANG train from Chengdu to Lhasa, Tibet. QINGZANG Train. DAY Train will pass by Qinghai Plateau and then Kekexili, the Tibet region. The train will supply oxygen from 2 now on, stay relax if you feel unwell as this is normal phenomenon. Arrive in Lhasa, Tibet. Your driver will welcome you at the train station and send you to your hotel. DAY 3 Accommodation：Hotel ZhaXiQuTa or Equivalent (Standard Room) Lhasa Visit Potala Palace in the morning. Potala Palace , was the residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th DAY Dalai Lama fled to India during the 1959 Tibetan uprising. It is now a museum and World Heritage Site. Then visit Jokhang Temple, the oldest temple in Lhasa. In the afternoon, you may wander around Bark- 4 hor Street. Here you may find variety of stalls and pilgrims. Accommodation：Hotel ZhaXiQuTa or Equivalent (Standard Room) © 2019 The Wandering Lens. All Rights Reserved. +65 9230 4951 PRIVATE TIBET GROUND TOUR Lhasa DAY Drepung Monastery, located at the foot of Mount Gephel, is one of the "great three" Gelug university 5 gompas of Tibet. Then we will visit Sera Monastery. Accommodation：Hotel ZhaXiQuTa or Equivalent (Standard Room) Lhasa—Yamdrok Lake—Gyantse County—Shigatse Yamdrok Lake is a freshwater lake in Tibet, it is one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet.
    [Show full text]
  • Differential Response of Alpine Steppe and Alpine Meadow to Climate
    Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 223 (2016) 233–240 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Agricultural and Forest Meteorology j ournal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/agrformet Differential response of alpine steppe and alpine meadow to climate warming in the central Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau a,b a,b,∗ c d Hasbagan Ganjurjav , Qingzhu Gao , Elise S. Gornish , Mark W. Schwartz , a,b a,b a,b e a,b a,b Yan Liang , Xujuan Cao , Weina Zhang , Yong Zhang , Wenhan Li , Yunfan Wan , a,b f f a,b Yue Li , Luobu Danjiu , Hongbao Guo , Erda Lin a Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China b Key Laboratory for Agro-Environment & Climate Change, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100081, China c Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis 95616, USA d Institute of the Environment, University of California, Davis 95616, USA e State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China f Nagqu Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Bureau, Tibet Autonomous Region, Nagqu 852100, China a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Article history: Recently, the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau has experienced significant warming. Climate warming is expected Received 9 November 2015 to have profound effects on plant community productivity and composition, which can drive ecosystem Received in revised form 6 March 2016 structure and function. To explore effects of warming on plant community productivity and compo- Accepted 30 March 2016 sition, we conducted a warming experiment using open top chambers (OTCs) from 2012 to 2014 in Available online 2 May 2016 alpine meadow and alpine steppe habitat on the central Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau.
    [Show full text]
  • Human Impact on Vegetation Dynamics Around Lhasa, Southern Tibetan Plateau, China
    sustainability Article Human Impact on Vegetation Dynamics around Lhasa, Southern Tibetan Plateau, China Haidong Li 1, Yingkui Li 2, Yuanyun Gao 1, Changxin Zou 1, Shouguang Yan 1 and Jixi Gao 1,* 1 Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing 210042, China; [email protected] (H.L.); [email protected] (Y.G.); [email protected] (C.Z.); [email protected] (S.Y.) 2 Department of Geography, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +86-25-8528-7278 Academic Editor: Tan Yigitcanlar Received: 13 September 2016; Accepted: 3 November 2016; Published: 8 November 2016 Abstract: Human impact plays an increasing role on vegetation change even on the Tibetan Plateau, an area that is commonly regarded as an ideal place to study climate change. We evaluate the nature and extent of human impact on vegetation dynamics by the comparison of two areas: the relative highly populated Lhasa area and a nearby less populated Lhari County. Our results indicate that human impact has mainly decreased vegetation greenness within 20 km of the urban area and major constructions during 1999–2013. However, the impact of human activities in a relatively large area is still minor and does not reverse the major trends of vegetation dynamics caused by the warming temperature in recent decades. It seems that the impact of anthropogenic factors on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) trend is more apparent in the Lhasa area than in Lhari County. The major anthropogenic driving factor for vegetation browning in the Lhasa area is livestock number, while the factors, including the number of rural laborers and artificial forest areas, are positively correlated with the annual NDVI increase.
    [Show full text]
  • Geothermal Resources and Utilization In
    Presented at the Workshop for Decision Makers on Direct Heating Use of Geothermal Resources in Asia, organized by UNU-GTP, TBLRREM and TBGMED, in Tianjin, China, 11-18 May, 2008. GEOTHERMAL TRAINING PROGRAMME TBLRREM TBGMED GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES AND UTILIZATION IN TIBET AND THE HIMALAYAS Dor Ji Tibet Bureau of Exploration & Development of Geology and Mineral Resources 850000 Lhasa Tibet CHINA [email protected] ABSTRACT Tibet is located in the east section of the Mediterranean-Himalayan Geothermal Zone, one of the world’s greater geothermal zones. Various high temperature geothermal manifestations are distributed throughout Tibet. In Yangbajain and Yangyi etc. 10 geothermal fields have been explored or detailed surveys have been made. The total resource potential is 299 GW. Yangbajain has an installed capacity of 24.18 MWe and has run safely for nearly 30 years. Medium-low temperature geothermal resources are used in greenhouses, baths, for medical care, space heating and industrial washing amongst other aspects. The geothermal resources are suitable for district heating and have great potential. Furthermore, utilization of shallow geothermal energy by means of Geothermal Shallow Heat Pumps (GSHPs) can satisfy the demands for space heating in Lhasa and most other larger towns in Tibet. 1. INTRODUCTION There are abundant geothermal resources in Tibet. More than 600 hot springs are distributed throughout the area. It ranks second place with regards to available geothermal resources in different provinces, regions and cities in our country. In addition Tibet is the area where most of the geothermal manifestations hotter than 100°C are located; In fact nearly half of the total of geothermal manifestations hotter than 100°C, in China, are located in Tibet, and the total reserve of thermal energy ranks first in the country.
    [Show full text]
  • High Diversity and No Significant Selection Signal of Human ADH1B Gene in Tibet Lu Et Al
    High diversity and no significant selection signal of human ADH1B gene in Tibet Lu et al. Lu et al. Investigative Genetics 2012, 3:23 http://www.investigativegenetics.com/content/3/1/23 Lu et al. Investigative Genetics 2012, 3:23 http://www.investigativegenetics.com/content/3/1/23 RESEARCH Open Access High diversity and no significant selection signal of human ADH1B gene in Tibet Yan Lu1†, Longli Kang1,2†, Kang Hu2, Chuanchao Wang1, Xiaoji Sun1, Feng Chen2, Judith R Kidd3, Kenneth K Kidd3 and Hui Li1,2,3* Abstract Background: ADH1B is one of the most studied human genes with many polymorphic sites. One of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs1229984, coding for the Arg48His substitution, have been associated with many serious diseases including alcoholism and cancers of the digestive system. The derived allele, ADH1B*48His, reaches high frequency only in East Asia and Southwest Asia, and is highly associated with agriculture. Micro-evolutionary study has defined seven haplogroups for ADH1B based on seven SNPs encompassing the gene. Three of those haplogroups, H5, H6, and H7, contain the ADH1B*48His allele. H5 occurs in Southwest Asia and the other two are found in East Asia. H7 is derived from H6 by the derived allele of rs3811801. The H7 haplotype has been shown to have undergone significant positive selection in Han Chinese, Hmong, Koreans, Japanese, Khazak, Mongols, and so on. Methods: In the present study, we tested whether Tibetans also showed evidence for selection by typing 23 SNPs in the region covering the ADH1B gene in 1,175 individuals from 12 Tibetan populations representing all districts of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
    [Show full text]
  • Abstract a Geographic Analysis of The
    ABSTRACT A GEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THE VULNERABILITIES AND COPING STRATEGIES OF TIBETAN HERDERS IN GANSU, CHINA by Luci Xi Lu A dominant narrative of rangeland degradation in western China is that degradation is caused by overstocking and poor land use practices. Consequently, the state has designed and implemented a series of grassland policies (e.g., privatizing common grazing land, depopulating livestock, and relocating herders) in pastoral regions of China. Although the government sees communal rangeland management as inefficient and unsustainable, collective rangeland management persists. Using Machu County in Gansu Province as a case study, I examined the differences between de jure and de facto land tenure on eastern Tibetan Plateau. This study employed semi-structured interviews and extensive participant observation with 43 Amdo Tibetan herders in Machu County, Gansu province, Western China. I also triangulated the first-hand empirical data with the secondary data I obtained from Bureau of Poverty Alleviation and Bureau of Animal Husbandry in Machu. Research findings show that instead of herding individually and maximizing the economic benefit, the majority of herders are pooling resources communally in kin-based encampments in order to avoid risks. Because of the spatio- temporal variation of precipitation, certain encampments perceive themselves more vulnerable to water shortage and topography-related hazards. Renting pastures and seeking alternative livelihoods then become the key strategies for herders to restore mobility and
    [Show full text]
  • Copy of TCHRD August 2019 Digest
    A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 Monthly Translation and Analyses Digest A compilation of selected stories, translation and analyses of Chinese government media reports that are otherwise available only in Chinese and Tibetan language. Front page image: Zhu Weiqun, head of the inspection team to assess the 'campaign against 'black and evil forces' addresses the meeting along with TAR party secretary Wu Yingjie in Lhasa [Tibet Daily] In this issue China to intensify "struggles against China to intensify Dalai clique and evil forces” in Tibet “struggles against Dalai Autonomous Region clique and evil forces” in The meeting to review the findings of the inspection Tibet Autonomous Region tour to assess the effectiveness of the ongoing "Reincarnation not a matter of special struggle against ‘black and evil’ forces in Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) was held on 6 July individual right but symbol of in Lhasa. Party’s rule over Tibet" Zhu Weiqun, the head of the inspection team Inspection groups to called for the necessity of combining the special investigate enforcement of struggle and the struggle against Dalai clique with Grassland Law dispatched the special situation in TAR, reported the China And Much More . Tibet Network on 7 August. A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 It was one of the six points of rectifications put Zhu, former head of the ethnic and religious forward by Zhu to resolve the outstanding affairs committee of the Chinese People’s problems of negligence and incompetence that Political Consultative Conference also the inspection team came across during underlined that one of the major problems the almost monthlong investigation in TAR.
    [Show full text]
  • Tibet Extension
    Tibet extension from Kathmandu 2019 Tibet SU - A visit to Tibet offers an exciting extension to your holiday in the Himalaya, and regular flights to Lhasa from Kathmandu make it possible to visit most of the major sights in and around Lhasa on an 8 day itinerary. Tibet’s high plateau offers totally different and starker scenery to that of the other Himalayan countries. Here you will see some of the most important historical and cultural sites of Tibetan Buddhism – the Potala Palace and Samye, Ganden and Drepung Monasteries. If taking this extension, our agents in Kathmandu will need to deliver your passport to the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu where your Tibet visa will be processed. The embassy will need your passport for 2-3 nights after which it will be returned to you by our agents. You will then be able to fly to Lhasa the next day. The embassy is only open on weekdays and the flight to Lhasa is generally in the early morning – both of these factors affect how long you will need to spend in Kathmandu. You therefore need to let us know in good time if you wish to take this extension. SUGGESTED ITINERARY sion Option Day 1 – Fly to Gonggar. Drive to Tsedang, 3,550m/11,647ft. You will be picked up from your Kathmandu hotel and transferred to the airport for the flight to Gonggar in Tibet where you meet your Tibetan guide and driver. You will then drive east to the city of Tsedang which has an important place in the history of Tibet.
    [Show full text]