Crows: From Holy to Evil Birds

Ridingonhorseback,IpassedDagarVillagebytheNyemo-QuxuHighway.A.truckbehindmewasobviouslyinahurryonitswaytosomewhere,andthedriverkeptpressingthehorntourgememakewayforhim.Allofasudden,adarkcloudrosefromnearbywalnuttreestowardthebluesky.Itwasactuallyadarkcloudofcrows.Outofcuriosity,Imovedtothewalnuttrees.Icountedcrownestsandfoundtheynumberedmorethan100.SKILLSOFCROWS.Crowsaregoodatbuildingnests.Eachnestiscomposedofsevenlayers,andeachlayerisbuiltwithmaterialsdifferentfromotherlayers.Notall…     

Land Which I Will Never Forget

IwenttoTibetafterhavingfinisheduniversitystudyin1960.Duringthatperiod,IcametoknowmanyTibetans,includingmyhouselandladyandanoldmanwhoshowedmelovingcare.Ilostmyparentswhenyoung,anditwasthesepeoplewhobroughtmefamilywarmthagain.Ihavealwaysregardedthemasmykindparentsinmind.MYTIBETANMOM.IbeganworkingasaneditorfortheTibetDailyin1960.In1962,Igotanassignmenttocoveraruralstory.Itwasmyfirsttriptoavillage.IarrangedtolivewithanoldTibetanlady.Shewasverygladtoseeayoungwoman,andtreatedmewithgreatwar…     

International Market in Burang

Iwasexhaustedaftercompletingtheritualwalkaroundtheholymountain.Onourwayback,westoppedoverbytheMapamYumcoLakewhichTibetansalsodeemholy.Itwasacloudyday.Besidesus,therewereafewpilgrimsfromIndia.OurvehiclefinallyapproachedBurang.Thelowelevationtheremademefeelbetter.Greenfieldsandclearwaterobviouslywereagreeable.Greenplantsandmoistureintheairdelightedmealotafteraprolongedbumpytrip.LocatedinwesternNgari,BuranghassincetheancienttimebeenthegatetosouthwestChina.Itcovers15,600squarekm,andneighbors…     

Lu Dragon God Worshipped In the Labrang Area

Labrang,intheborderareaofGansu,QinghaiandSichuan,iswheretheLabrangMonasteryislocated.ItisoneofthereligiousandculturalcentersintheTibetanareasinAmdo.LocalshaveworshippedtheLuGodsinceancienttimes.Lumeansdragon.TheBonreligiousworshippersheldittobeaGodresidingundergroundorinwater.Itischargedwiththedutyofprotectingundergroundtreasures.Yearningforwealth,thelocalsworshiptheLuGod,especiallywhentheyhavebuiltanewhouse.DuringmyrecentvisittoLabrang,Iwitnessedsuchworship.SQUAREFORTHELUGOD.Wh…     

Horse Race In My Hometown

Myhometown,QenlungTownshipinBangoinCounty,NagquPrefecture,isalivestockbreedingareawherehorseraceshavebeenheldforyears.Despiteaseveresnowstormthatcrippledourtownlastyear,thehorseracewasstillheldinearly1999.Thenewsfilleduswithexcitement.AfamilymeetingwasheldandreachedagreementthatourBlackMareshouldtookpartintherace.BlackMareflunkedtheraceheldin1997.buttooksecondplaceayearlater.Shewasexpectedtodoitbetterthistime.Weleftfortheracecoursebeforedawn.Ourtruckwasheavilyloadedwithtents,pots,bedding,…     

It'll Be Rosier Tomorrow"──Story of Lhasa Mayor Lobsang Gyaincain

IinterviewedLobsangGyaincain,MayorofLhasa,inMay.Ifoundheisdevotedtohiswork,kindtohispeopleandbusiness-minded.KAMBAMANFROMQAMDO.LobsangGyaincainwasborninthefallof1957inZayaCounty,Qamdo.Hisparentswerehereditaryserfs.Motherwasforcedtodofarmworkafewdaysafterhisbirth.Shediedasaresultsoon.Fatherworkedhardertosupporthisfivesons.SuchhardtimelasteduntiltheDemocraticReformin1959.In1971,LobsangGyaincaingraduatedfromtheprimaryschool.HetookpartintheentranceexaminationheldbytheTibetInstitutef…     

Narration of Three Farmers In Bangjor Lhunbo Village

AnOldManWhoisSatisfiedMynameisGedainSangmo.Iam80years.oldthisyear.Mypreviouslifewasfilledwithhardship.IwasbornandbroughtupinBangjorLhunboVillage.AsmymotherwasanangzenhouseholdslaveoftheParjorLhakangfamily,Iwasbornaslave,too.Ihavenottheslightestmemoryofmyfather.Duringmychildhood,MotherandIstayedinadarkandwethut.Motherwovewoolenfabricsforthemasterfrommorningtonight.Themasterrepaidherworkwithtwomealsofbarleyporridgeatbreadestanddinnertime.Forlunch,shehadtobringherfoodwithher;butthemasters…     

Jokhang Monastery:Holy Land in Lhasa

Iam-alamawiththeJokhangMonasteryinLhasa.IwasborninComaiTownship,DoilungdeqenCounty.Uponmygraduationfromthecountymiddleschool.IenteredtheTibetBuddhistCollege.Beforelong,IfollowedBomeQambaLhozhub,thecollegepresident.totheJokhangMonasteryandhavestayedhereforeightyears.TheJokhangMonasteryisoneoftheoldestofitskindinTibet.ItwasbuiltduringthereignoftheTibetanKingSongtsanGambo,some1,300yearsago.CONSTRUCTIONOFTHEMONASTERY.Leg-endhasitthatthesiteoftheJokhangMonasterywasalakenamedWo…     

Religious StreamersIn Tibet

BeligiousstreamersareusedmainlyininsideandoutsideTibetanBuddhistlamaseriesforpeopletoworshipBuddha.Majoronesincludeflyingstreamers,pillarstreamersandsutrastreamers.RW8~.Tailoredwithsilksandsatins,theflyingstreamersarecoloredlongpieceswithnarrowtopandwidebottom.Threepiecestbrmagroup,andthreegroupsformacom-pleteflyingstreamer.FlyingstreamersareusedtogreettheBuddha.Theyaretieduptol.5-2-meter-longpoles,topofwhicharedel-icatelydecoratedwithbronzepatterns.PlLLAR8TREAMER8.Naturally,suchstream…     

CERING WANGDUI: THE RICHEST

Tenyearsago,CerinqWangduidreamedofbringinguphisfivechildreninprosperity.Hisdreamhascometruetoday.andraisingchildrenhasbecomenothingforsomehowwhonowhasassetsvaluedatmorethan10millionyuan.HisnewhomeisfurnishedwitheverythingfoundinmodernfamiliesinBeijingandShanghaifcolorTVsets,refrigerators.washinqmachines.brjghttoilets.telephones.,,.CerinqWangdui,48,usedtoearn28yuanamonthprojectingfilmsforthelocals.Later,hismonthlyincomegrewtoover300yuan.In1986.whenbordertradeflourishedamidboomingtourism,heq…     

System of Mountain Gods In Tibet

WORSNIPONMOUNTAINSImaginewhatonewillworshipinanenvironmentisolatedfromtheoutsideworldbyskyscrapingpeaks.Mountains.ofcourse.Indeed,ofthingsworshippedbytheTibetans,mountainsareholy.IntheTibetAutonomousRegions,snow-cappedmountainsarefoundeverywhere.TheyareheldasreincarnationofMountainGods,andtheTibetansdividedtheMountainGodsintogoodorevilones.SomeoftheMountainGodsareinchargeofmildweather.Atthefootofthesemountains,thereliefertilefarmlandwhichspreadfarandwide.Peoplethereliveonhuntingan…     

七律·南岳

吕.人讨.八︺-入︶-八﹀.八﹀.八﹀-人W.八﹀-八﹀-衡山陡峭刺苍育,寺庙悠扬报晓钟。瀑布流泉飘彩练,微烟霭雾绕仙宫。祝融陵寝平心境,铁脚攀山荡腹胸。欲望遥遥千里貌,身临绝顶我为高· _(责任编辑:雅文),。,会.0.令.0.令.令,令.令.令.0.令.会.公.0.。,合.令.令,公.。‘令,勺洲七律·南岳@袁性蔚     

PROTECTING OUR HOMETOWN─Environmental Protection in Aba

AbaisknownasthegreenscreenforSichuanProvince.ItisthesourceoftheMingjiang,andtheYellow,DaduandJialingjiangRiversflowthroughhere.Thatpartoftheworldfeaturespristineforests.However,wantonfellinghasboughtaboutserioussoilerosionandpovertytothelocalpeople.Inspiteofeffortsmadeintheearly1980s.Abapeoplebegantoplanttrees.Butthewantonfellinghadnotbeeneffectivelychecked.Abapeoplefinallywereawareoftheproblemin1998,whenadevastatingfloodhitthemiddleandlowerreachesoftheYangtzeRiver.Tangsumwasamodelworker…     

Zetang: The Place Where Monkeys Play

Visitingtheplacewheremonkeysplayshouldbefun.Recently,I-didhavethechancetovisitsuchaplace,whichiscalledZetanginTibetan.Zetang,amajortowninsouthernTibet,featuresfertileland,beautifulsceneryandboomingeconomy.Fivekmsoutheastofthetowntowersasmallmountain.OntopofthemountainstandstheYungbolhakang,thefirstpalacebuiltintheTibetanhistory.YONGBOLHAKANGPALACE.LegendhasitwhenTangDynastyPrincessWenchengenteredTibet,shespentafewdayshere.Thehallsonthethirdfloorwererebuiltduringtheperiodofthe3rdD…     

Spell Chanting Hunters in Jiarong

TibetanhunterslivingindeepmountainsontheupperreachesoftheDaduRiveraregoodatridinghorses.shootingandhunting.Someofthem,knownasSpellChantingHunters,settrapstocatchbirdsandanimals.SpellChantingHuntersworshiptheChoMountainGodwithskeletonandfeetbonesofriverdeer.Whendoingthis,theyholdsetrituals.SpellChantingHuntersgohuntinggenerallyalone.Inaflat,openareawhereanimalscome,onewillsettrapscomposedof20-cmbamboonailsfriedinbutter.Thesebamboonails,towhichonehasalreadychantedspells,aredrivenintothegro…     

ZHUMO AND HER CRANES──Primitive Ecological Culture in ‘KingGesar’

ZhumowastheconcubineofKingGesaroftheStateofLing.Sheownedthreecranes.WhentheHorKingBaizammadeinroadsintoLingandcarriedheroff,sherefusedtobehisconcubine.Throughthethreecranes,shesentaletterwritteninherbloodtoKingGesar,askinghimtorescueher.Thethreecranesdidwhatshedemanded.IntheepicKingGesar,theBattleBetweenHorandLingdepictsthisepisodeofhistoryinvivid,touchingwords.ItrevealsthemistakesofKingGesar.Giventhefactthat,whentheepicwascreated,theTubosocietyfeaturedworshipofthekingasthesonoftheGo…     

I Made a Correct Decision 40 Years Ago

EDITOR'SNOTE:Onasunnymorning,DoneZhamduiandDorqunginterviewedtheLivingBuddhaBorneQambaLhozholinhisquietroomintheJokhangMonasteryinLhasa.FollowingistherecordoftheinterviewmadebyDorjeZhamduiandDorqung.Theyear1959provedtobeveryimportantforme.Ononehand,IwontheLharanbaGeshidegreeofTibetanBuddhisminatest.ItisthehighestacademicdegreeofTibetanBuddhism.Ontheotherhand,somereactionariesontheupperrulingclassstagedanarmedrebellion.Whensuppressed,theyurgedpeopletofollowtheminfleeingChina.Iwas…     

TRADITIONAL TIBETAN MEDICINE Guidelines for Healthcare

TraditionalTibetanmedicineboastsuniquetheoryandisrichincontent.HealthcareconstitutesonecentralaspectoftraditionalTibetanmedicine.Inmedicaltreatment,traditionalTibetanmedicineadvocatesfourmethods.Thesearedailylifetherapy,dietarytherapy,medicaltreatment,andtreatmentusingmedicalapparatuses.Ofthefour,dailylifetherapyanddietarytherapyfallintothecategoryofhealthcare.OAILYLIFETHERAPY.Thisisveryimportantforpersonalhealthandfitness.AccordingtotheFour-VolumeMedicalCode,dailylifetherapyiscompri…     

Visting Xaqun Monastery in Autumn

Enteringthefallof1998,farmerswerebusyharvesting.WetookaartotheXaqunMonasterv'Afterhavingcoveredsome100km,wediscovereddeepchannelsatthesideoftheroadwhichweweretoldwereusedtodisperseheavyhailstorms.Intheevening,ourcarbegantoclimbupahighmountainflankedbydeepravines.Ipokedmyheadoutofthewindowandfoundnothingbutbot-tomlessdarkness.Myheartjumpedintomythroat.Fortunately,thedriverwasveryexperiencedinl1ightdriving.Wecon-tinuedourjourneysafely,withthebrightmoonsmilingdownonuswithawelcominggesture.When…     

Sweetened Tea Houses In Tibet

OutsideasweetenedteahouseinLhasaareparkednumerousbicyclesandmotorcycles.Insideareseatedcrowdsofpeople.InLhasaandotherpartsofTibet,therearemanyteahouseslikethis.DrinkingsweetenedteahasbecomeaTibetantradition.ManysayTibetanslearnedtodrinksweetenedteafromtheBritishinvaders.ButmanyothersarguethattheTibetanslearneditfromtheindiansandNepalese.WhilemostTibetansmakesweetenedteainawayuniquetothemselves,peopleinYadongandGyangze,closetoindia,followamethodsimilartothatinindia.TheTibetansmakesweetene…