DOCSLIB.ORG

Tibetpop 3.2 MILLION

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Tibetpop 3.2 MILLION ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd TibetPOP 3.2 MILLION Includes ¨ Why Go? Lhasa ..........................915 For many people, the highlights of Tibet will be of a spiritual Drepung Monastery ...922 nature: magnificent monasteries, prayer halls of chanting Ganden Monastery ...922 monks, and remote cliffside retreats. Tibet’s pilgrims – from Sera Monastery ........ 923 local grandmothers murmuring mantras in temples to hard- core visitors walking or prostrating themselves around Mt Samye Monastery .... 924 Kailash – are an essential part of this appeal. Tibet has a Saga ......................... 924 level of devotion and faith that seems to belong to an earlier Gyantse .................... 925 age. It’s fascinating, inspiring and endlessly photogenic. Shigatse ................... 926 Tibet’s other big draw is the elemental beauty of the high- Lhatse ...................... 929 est plateau on earth. Geography here is on a humbling scale and every view is lit with spectacular mountain light. Your Sakya ........................ 929 trip will take you past glittering turquoise lakes, across huge Everest Base Camp ...929 plains dotted with yaks and nomads’ tents, and over high Tingri ........................ 930 passes draped with colourful prayer flags. Hike past the ru- Darchen & ins of remote hermitages, stare open-mouthed at the north Mt Kailash ................. 931 face of Everest or make an epic overland trip along some of Lake Manasarovar ... 932 the world’s wildest roads. The scope for adventure is limited only by your ability to get permits. When to Go Best Places to Eat Lhasa ¨ Sumptuous Tibetan °C/°F Te mp Rainfall inches/mm Restaurant (p928) 40/104 12/300 30/86 ¨ Lhasa Namaste 20/68 Restaurant (p920) 10/50 8/200 0/32 ¨ Third Eye Restaurant -10/14 4/100 (p928) -20/-4 -30/-22 -40/-40 0 J FDM A M J J A S O N Best Places to Sleep May–Sep The Apr & Oct–Nov Dec–Feb Very warmest weather The slightly colder few people visit ¨ Kyichu Hotel (p918) makes travel, trek- weather means Tibet in winter, ¨ Yeti Hotel (p926) king and transport fewer travellers so you’ll have key easiest. and a better range attractions largely ¨ Gang Gyan Orchard Hotel of vehicles. to yourself. (p926) 910 T T T TIBE TIBE TIBE ghts I ghl HI bet TI Tibet Highlights 1 Lhasa (p915) Rubbing chapels of this architectural 4 Everest Base Camp highest rails across the roof of 7 Friendship Highway shoulders with Tibetan wonder (p929) Catching sunrise from the world (p931) Hiring a vehicle for the pilgrims in this holy city 3 Mt Kailash (p931) Erasing a yak-wool tent or monastery 6 Samye Monastery (p924) week-long trip along one of 2 Gyantse Kumbum (p925) the sins of a lifetime on the guesthouse. Exploring the mandala-shaped Asia’s great road trips Marvelling at the murals of three-day pilgrim circuit 5 Qīnghǎi–Tibet Railway chapels and stupas at Tibet’s angels and demons in the 108 (p923) Riding the planet’s first monastery Under Administration The external boundaries of India on Yangz Q¹NGH‡I of China 219 this map have not been authenticated i and may not be correct. River Palgon-tso (Tongtian Rutok H Me e) Q¸ngh†i–Tibet kogn Ri Ali Railway ver SÌCHU„N Tanggu-la Under Gegye Pass (5072m) Administration Ali (Kunsha) Gertse TIBET Tangula Sh of China Amdo an Mt Kailash 317 (Kang Rinpoche) 108 Tsaparang (6714m) Salwene 317 Zanda Dawa-tso River Chamdo Zhari Serling-tso Nagqu (L Darchen Mt Kailash Nam-tso (Nu Jiang) an Hor Qu Tsochen cang Rakshas Tal Nam-tso 109 (Lhanag-tso) Lake Manasarovar Mt Nyenchen lley 318 Jia (Mapham Yum-tso) Tanglha a n Damxung h u V g Purang Yarlung Tsangp i- c Kongpo ) Paryang (7111m) Ky 318 INDIA (Brahmaputra Tagyel-tso Yangpachen Gyamda Pomi Drongba Bayi H i m Mt Nojin Lhasa Markam Saga Friendship Ganden Monastery a l a y a R o Raka Highway Kangtsang ) River (7191m) Samye Nyingtri Tong-la Gyatso-la Monastery Peiku-tso (5248m) Lhatse Shigatse (5140m) Nangartse Tsetang Dzayul a n gShishapangma e Sakya Tingri Yamdrok-tso Gongkar NEPAL (8012m) Shegar/Baber Gyantse Airport Rongphu Kumbum Nyalam Monastery Zhƒngmù (Khasa/Dram) H Tsona INDIA Mt Everest ima Kathmandu Kodari (Qomolangma) laya Range Borderby Claimed China MYANMAR 0 200 km Everest 0 120 miles (8848m) Yadong (BURMA) Base Camp BHUTAN.
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]
  • 5 Pema Mandala Fall 06 11/21/06 12:02 PM Page 1
    5 Pema Mandala Fall 06 11/21/06 12:02 PM Page 1 Fall/Winter 2006 5 Pema Mandala Fall 06 11/21/06 12:03 PM Page 2 Volume 5, Fall/Winter 2006 features A Publication of 3 Letter from the Venerable Khenpos Padmasambhava Buddhist Center Nyingma Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism 4 New Home for Ancient Treasures A long-awaited reliquary stupa is now at home at Founding Directors Ven. Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche Padma Samye Ling, with precious relics inside. Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche 8 Starting to Practice Dream Yoga Rita Frizzell, Editor/Art Director Ani Lorraine, Contributing Editor More than merely resting, we can use the time we Beth Gongde, Copy Editor spend sleeping to truly benefit ourselves and others. Ann Helm, Teachings Editor Michael Nott, Advertising Director 13 Found in Translation Debra Jean Lambert, Administrative Assistant A student relates how she first met the Khenpos and Pema Mandala Office her experience translating Khenchen’s teachings on For subscriptions, change of address or Mipham Rinpoche. editorial submissions, please contact: Pema Mandala Magazine 1716A Linden Avenue 15 Ten Aspirations of a Bodhisattva Nashville, TN 37212 Translated for the 2006 Dzogchen Intensive. (615) 463-2374 • [email protected] 16 PBC Schedule for Fall 2006 / Winter 2007 Pema Mandala welcomes all contributions submitted for consideration. All accepted submissions will be edited appropriately 18 Namo Buddhaya, Namo Dharmaya, for publication in a magazine represent- Nama Sanghaya ing the Padmasambhava Buddhist Center. Please send submissions to the above A student reflects on a photograph and finds that it address. The deadline for the next issue is evokes more symbols than meet the eye.
    [Show full text]
  • Escape to Lhasa Strategic Partner
    4 Nights Incentive Programme Escape to Lhasa Strategic Partner Country Name Lhasa, the heart and soul of Tibet, is a city of wonders. The visits to different sites in Lhasa would be an overwhelming experience. Potala Palace has been the focus of the travelers for centuries. It is the cardinal landmark and a structure of massive proportion. Similarly, Norbulingka is the summer palace of His Holiness Dalai Lama. Drepung Monastery is one of the world’s largest and most intact monasteries, Jokhang temple the heart of Tibet and Barkhor Market is the place to get the necessary resources for locals as well as souvenirs for tourists. At the end of this trip we visit the Samye Monastery, a place without which no journey to Tibet is complete. StrategicCountryPartner Name Day 1 Arrive in Lhasa Country Name Day 1 o Morning After a warm welcome at Gonggar Airport (3570m) in Lhasa, transfer to the hotel. Distance (Airport to Lhasa): 62kms/ 32 miles Drive Time: 1 hour approx. Altitude: 3,490 m/ 11,450 ft. o Leisure for acclimatization Lhasa is a city of wonders that contains many culturally significant Tibetan Buddhist religious sites and lies in a valley next to the Lhasa River. StrategicCountryPartner Name Day 2 In Lhasa Country Name Day 2 o Morning: Set out to visit Sera and Drepung Monasteries Founded in 1419, Sera Monastery is one of the “great three” Gelukpa university monasteries in Tibet. 5km north of Lhasa, the Sera Monastery’s setting is one of the prettiest in Lhasa. The Drepung Monastery houses many cultural relics, making it more beautiful and giving it more historical significance.
    [Show full text]
  • SYMPOSIUM Moving Borders: Tibet in Interaction with Its Neighbors
    SYMPOSIUM Moving Borders: Tibet in Interaction with Its Neighbors Symposium participants and abstracts: Karl Debreczeny is Senior Curator of Collections and Research at the Rubin Museum of Art. He completed his PhD in Art History at the University of Chicago in 2007. He was a Fulbright‐Hays Fellow (2003–2004) and a National Gallery of Art CASVA Ittleson Fellow (2004–2006). His research focuses on exchanges between Tibetan and Chinese artistic traditions. His publications include The Tenth Karmapa and Tibet’s Turbulent Seventeenth Century (ed. with Tuttle, 2016); The All‐Knowing Buddha: A Secret Guide (with Pakhoutova, Luczanits, and van Alphen, 2014); Situ Panchen: Creation and Cultural Engagement in Eighteenth‐Century Tibet (ed., 2013); The Black Hat Eccentric: Artistic Visions of the Tenth Karmapa (2012); and Wutaishan: Pilgrimage to Five Peak Mountain (2011). His current projects include an exhibition which explores the intersection of politics, religion, and art in Tibetan Buddhism across ethnicities and empires from the seventh to nineteenth century. Art, Politics, and Tibet’s Eastern Neighbors Tibetan Buddhism’s dynamic political role was a major catalyst in moving the religion beyond Tibet’s borders east to its Tangut, Mongol, Chinese, and Manchu neighbors. Tibetan Buddhism was especially attractive to conquest dynasties as it offered both a legitimizing model of universal sacral kingship that transcended ethnic and clan divisions—which could unite disparate people—and also promised esoteric means to physical power (ritual magic) that could be harnessed to expand empires. By the twelfth century Tibetan masters became renowned across northern Asia as bestowers of this anointed rule and occult power.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, Revised Edition
    REVISED EDITION John Powers ITTB_Interior 9/20/07 2:23 PM Page 1 Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism ITTB_Interior 9/20/07 2:23 PM Page 2 ITTB_Interior 9/20/07 2:23 PM Page 3 Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism revised edition by John Powers Snow Lion Publications ithaca, new york • boulder, colorado ITTB_Interior 9/20/07 2:23 PM Page 4 Snow Lion Publications P.O. Box 6483 • Ithaca, NY 14851 USA (607) 273-8519 • www.snowlionpub.com © 1995, 2007 by John Powers All rights reserved. First edition 1995 Second edition 2007 No portion of this book may be reproduced by any means without prior written permission from the publisher. Printed in Canada on acid-free recycled paper. Designed and typeset by Gopa & Ted2, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Powers, John, 1957- Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism / by John Powers. — Rev. ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and indexes. ISBN-13: 978-1-55939-282-2 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-55939-282-7 (alk. paper) 1. Buddhism—China—Tibet. 2. Tibet (China)—Religion. I. Title. BQ7604.P69 2007 294.3’923—dc22 2007019309 ITTB_Interior 9/20/07 2:23 PM Page 5 Table of Contents Preface 11 Technical Note 17 Introduction 21 Part One: The Indian Background 1. Buddhism in India 31 The Buddha 31 The Buddha’s Life and Lives 34 Epilogue 56 2. Some Important Buddhist Doctrines 63 Cyclic Existence 63 Appearance and Reality 71 3. Meditation 81 The Role of Meditation in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism 81 Stabilizing and Analytical Meditation 85 The Five Buddhist Paths 91 4.
    [Show full text]
  • YEAR 6/2019 KAGYU SAMYE LING: Meditation
    YEAR 6/2019 KAGYU SAMYE LING: meditation & yoga retreat – with cat & phil Eskdalemuir, Dumfriesshire, Scotland Kagyu Samye Ling - tibetan buddhist centre/kagyu tradition Thursday, 8th – Sunday, 11th August 2019 Cost: £350 tuition (includes donation to Kagyu Samye Ling) This is an additional way we have chosen to support the monastery & their ongoing charitable work. Accommodation to be booked directly with Samye Ling. Deposit: £200 to hold a space – (FULL CAPACITY – PREVIOUS YEARS) Balance due: 8th June (two months prior) – NO REFUNDS AFTER THIS DATE Payment methods: cash/cheque/bank transfer Cheques made out to: Catherine Alip-Douglas Bank transfer to: TSB – Bayswater Branch, 30-32 Westbourne Grove sort code: 309059, account number:14231860, Swift/BIC code: IBAN:GB49TSBS30905914231860 BIC: TSBSGB2AXXX The Retreat: 3 nights/4 days includes a tour of samye ling, daily yoga sessions (2- 2.5hours), lectures, meditation practice with Samye Ling’s sangha, a film screening of “AKONG” based on Akong Rinpoche, one of the founders of KSL and informal gatherings in an environment conducive to a proper ‘retreat’. As always, this retreat is also part of the Sangyé Yoga School's 2019 TT. There will be time for walks in the beautiful surroundings and reading books from their well-stocked and newly expanded gift shop. NOT INCLUDED: accommodation (many options depending on your budget) & travel. Kagyu Samye Ling provides the perfect environment to reconnect with nature, go deeper in your meditation practice, learn about the foundations of Tibetan Buddhism and the Kagyu lineage. It is a simple retreat for students who want to get to the heart of a practice and spend more time than usual in meditation sessions.
    [Show full text]
  • 6 Notti in Camera Doppia in 3*/4* a Lhasa & Shigatse
    -2018- Mag/Giu/ Lug/Set/ Ago 11-31ott 1-10Ott -Quota Tour 3* 2140€ 2180€ 2350€ in Doppia- 4* 2200€ 2285€ 2425€ -Supl. Sgl- 3* 210€ 240€ 260€ 4* 280€ 345€ 355€ Giorno 01: Arrivo a Lhasa -LE QUOTE COMPRENDONO- All’arrivo all’aeroporto/stazione di Lhasa sarete accolti dal nostro staff. Vi sarà dato un caldo “Tashidelek”, (che significa benvenuto con benedizione. Trasferimento in hotel a Lhasa, a circa 2 ore dall'aeroporto e 20 min. dalla stazione, per 6 notti in camera doppia in riposare (Lhasa si trova a 3.650 metri di altitudine) è importante alleviare il mal di montagna: resistete alla tentazione di 3*/4* a Lhasa & Shigatse; uscire e prendetevi la giornata per acclimatarvi. Ricordarsi di bere molta acqua, mangiare leggero, e non fare la doccia se si 1 notte in camera doppia in 3* può farne a meno. a Gyantse; Giorno 02: Sobborghi di Lhasa (B + D)- In evidenza: Al mattino, visita del monastero di Drepung o Drak 1 notte in dormitorio o in tenda Yerpa. Nel pomeriggio, visita del monastero di Sera. al campo base EBC Il Monastero di Drepung è stato costruito nel 1416 ed è il più grande monastero del Gelug Sez. Si estende su una superficie 2 notti in camera doppia in 2* di 250.000 metri quadrati. Drak Yerpa è un luogo che ha significati profondi nella cultura spirituale tibetano. C'è un detto: a Saga; "Lhasa è il santuario del Tibet, Drak Yerpa è il santuario di Lhasa. Non vedere Drak Yerpa a Lhasa è come fare un abito senza 1 notte in camera doppia in il collare.".
    [Show full text]
  • AN Introduction to MUSIC to DELIGHT ALL the SAGES, the MEDICAL HISTORY of DRAKKAR TASO TRULKU CHOKYI WANGCRUK (1775-1837)’
    I AN iNTRODUCTION TO MUSIC TO DELIGHT ALL THE SAGES, THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF DRAKKAR TASO TRULKU CHOKYI WANGCRUK (1775-1837)’ STACEY VAN VLEET, Columbia University On the auspicious occasion of theft 50th anniversary celebration, the Dharamsala Men-tsee-khang published a previously unavailable manuscript entitled A Briefly Stated framework ofInstructions for the Glorious field of Medicine: Music to Delight All the Sages.2 Part of the genre associated with polemics on the origin and development of medicine (khog ‘bubs or khog ‘bugs), this text — hereafter referred to as Music to Delight All the Sages — was written between 1816-17 in Kyirong by Drakkar Taso Truilcu Chokyi Wangchuk (1775-1837). Since available medical history texts are rare, this one represents a new source of great interest documenting the dynamism of Tibetan medicine between the 1 $th and early 19th centuries, a lesser-known period in the history of medicine in Tibet. Music to Delight All the Sages presents a historical argument concerned with reconciling the author’s various received medical lineages and traditions. Some 1 This article is drawn from a more extensive treatment of this and related W” and 1 9th century medical histories in my forthcoming Ph.D. dissertation. I would like to express my deep gratitude to Tashi Tsering of the Amnye Machen Institute for sharing a copy of the handwritten manuscript of Music to Delight All the Sages with me and for his encouragement and assistance of this work over its duration. This publication was made possible by support from the Social Science Research Council’s International Dissertation Research Fellowship, with funds provided by the Andrew W.
    [Show full text]
  • Tibetan Nuns Debate for Dalai Lama
    PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851 607-273-8519 WINTER 1996 Newsletter and Catalog Supplement Tibetan Nuns Debate for Dalai Lama NAMGYAL INSTITUTE by Thubten Chodron I began hearing rumors the At 4PM nuns, monks, and Enters New Phase morning of Sunday, October 8th laypeople gathered in the court- that nuns were going to debate in yard. The nuns were already debat- the courtyard in front of the main ing on one side, and their voices of Development temple in Dharamsala and that His and clapping hands, a mark of de- Holiness the Dalai Lama was to be bate as done in Tibetan Buddhism, Spring 1996 will mark the end Lama. The monks have received a • Obtain health insurance for the there to observe. There were many filled the place. Suddenly there was of the fourth full year of operation wide and popular reception Namgyal monks, none of whom nuns in McLeod Gam' at the time; a hush and the nuns who had been and the beginning of a new phase throughout the U.S. and Canada, currently have health insurance. the major nunneries in India and debating went onto the stage in the of development for the Institute of and there is an ever-growing circle • Fund a full-time paid adminis- Nepal were having their first ever "pavilion" where His Holiness' seat Buddhist Studies established by of students at the Institute in trator. Our two administrators inter-nunnery debate. The fact that was. His Holiness soon came out, Namgyal Monastery in North Ithaca, confirming the validity of have each put in forty hours per the best nun debaters had^athered the nuns prostrated and were America.
    [Show full text]
  • The History of Gyalthang Under Chinese Rule: Memory, Identity, and Contested Control in a Tibetan Region of Northwest Yunnan
    THE HISTORY OF GYALTHANG UNDER CHINESE RULE: MEMORY, IDENTITY, AND CONTESTED CONTROL IN A TIBETAN REGION OF NORTHWEST YUNNAN Dá!a Pejchar Mortensen A dissertation submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History. Chapel Hill 2016 Approved by: Michael Tsin Michelle T. King Ralph A. Litzinger W. Miles Fletcher Donald M. Reid © 2016 Dá!a Pejchar Mortensen ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii! ! ABSTRACT Dá!a Pejchar Mortensen: The History of Gyalthang Under Chinese Rule: Memory, Identity, and Contested Control in a Tibetan Region of Northwest Yunnan (Under the direction of Michael Tsin) This dissertation analyzes how the Chinese Communist Party attempted to politically, economically, and culturally integrate Gyalthang (Zhongdian/Shangri-la), a predominately ethnically Tibetan county in Yunnan Province, into the People’s Republic of China. Drawing from county and prefectural gazetteers, unpublished Party histories of the area, and interviews conducted with Gyalthang residents, this study argues that Tibetans participated in Communist Party campaigns in Gyalthang in the 1950s and 1960s for a variety of ideological, social, and personal reasons. The ways that Tibetans responded to revolutionary activists’ calls for political action shed light on the difficult decisions they made under particularly complex and coercive conditions. Political calculations, revolutionary ideology, youthful enthusiasm, fear, and mob mentality all played roles in motivating Tibetan participants in Mao-era campaigns. The diversity of these Tibetan experiences and the extent of local involvement in state-sponsored attacks on religious leaders and institutions in Gyalthang during the Cultural Revolution have been largely left out of the historiographical record.
    [Show full text]
  • Overview Itinerary Details
    12 Days Tibet and Nepal Tour Overview Tour to Tibet from Nepal The world of Shangri-La-Tibet is a land of myths and mysteries. It is located in the Himalayan rain shadow area and the average elevation is more than 4000 meters. Tibet is also known as the roof of the world, which is rich in architecture, cultural heritages and historical palaces. 12 Days Tibet and Nepal Tour are designed for the travelers to visit mostly the cultural places, Monasteries, National Libraries, ethnic settlements, Tibetan festivals, Himalayan lifestyles and the central Lhasa tour through the overland trip via Kathmandu. The trip also combines the sightseeing tours in Kathmandu, Nagarkot and Bhaktapur. 12 Days Nepal and Tibet Tour Package begin from the Zhangmu, after a jeep drive from Kathmandu. It is a border between Nepal and Tibet. Then it drives through Nylam, Sigatse, Gyantse and reaches the Lhasa city. The trip includes several high passes as Nyalm pass (3800m), Lalung-La pass (5082m), Kora La Pass (5010m) and Kamba La (4794m). The wonderful views from the journey are Mt. Everest, Yarlung Tsangpo, Tibetan Himalayan ranges, the sacred Brahmaputra River, deserted landscape, rural Tibetan settlements and the surrounding panoramas. As the trip enters into the Lhasa, travelers are welcomed by array of prayer flags and numerous ancient Tibetan monasteries. The two days Lhasa sightseeing includes the historical Potala Palace, Drepung Monastery, Tibet Museum, Barkhor Bazaar and several cultural heritages. The tour to central Tibet offers an opportunity to explore the historical sites and some secret rooms of previous leaders. It is a fantastic trip to Tibet with proper acclimatization.
    [Show full text]
  • In the Shadow of Cathay: a Survey of European Encounters in Discerning, Mapping, and Exploring Tibet During the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries
    Archivum Historicum Societatis Iesu vol. lxxxvii, fasc. 174 (2018-II) In the Shadow of Cathay: A Survey of European Encounters in Discerning, Mapping, and Exploring Tibet during the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries Ana Carolina Hosne* CONICET, Argentina This article aims to review the European literature and other extant sources of information pertaining to Tibet in the early modern period. Tibet was not only somewhat unknown to Europeans, but it was also usually associated with Cathay, both believed to be home to Christian communities. This survey explores the process by which, for some Europeans in the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Tibet gradually started to emerge as a distinct land, from their hazy geographical knowledge and cartographic representations of central Asia, and out of the shadow of Cathay. The study is organized into three major themes concerning the European experience of Tibet: discerning, mapping, and exploring the region. Its chronological scope encompasses the arrival of the Jesuits at the Mughal court in 1580 until the late seventeenth century. The first part of the survey sets the analysis into context by examining the ambiguous relationship in the European mind between Tibet and Cathay, amidst vague geographical references and a varied nomenclature for Tibet. The focus of this first part of the essay then shifts to the undertaking of an expedition beyond the Himalayas from the Mughal court, followed by the establishment and closure of a mission in Tibet by António de Andrade SJ1 in the third decade of the seventeenth century, when this mission was still motivated by the belief in the existence of Christian communities.
    [Show full text]