Unprecedented Developments In Tibet

The visit of our delegation to Tibet was, indeed, an eye-opener. Ours was one of the first political delegations fromIndia to visit the Tibet autonomous region in many decades. The economic development that we could see in the capital city of Lhasa as well as in the other urban and rural areas clearly showed that compared to Nepal, Bhutan or other Indian Himalayan areas, the Tibet region is witness to unprecedented economic and other consequent social     

Exploring Different Perspectives on Gnyav khri btsan po and Spu rgyal： Some Methodological Concerns

INTRODUCTION
Traditional Tibetan historiographies agree that gnyav khri btsanpo＇s reign over surrounding principalities （rgyal phran） throughout the Tibetan plateau ushered in a socio- political transformation of Tibet characterized by a trend toward political convergence. Because of his status as the progenitor of the Tibetan royal lineage and as the founding ancestor of the spu rgyal in the old Tibetan and Chinese sources, the topic ofgnyav khri btsan po and spu rgyal has received a significant amount of scholarly attention from contemporary researchers.     

On Khral-Ula Corvée System during the Period of the Old Local Government in Tibet (bKav-shag)

As both the economic pillar of the manor estates of feudal lords and the financial mainstay of the old local government of Tibet, Khral-Ula corvee reflected the political and economic relationship between feudal lords, serfs and herdsmen, the economic relations within the ruling regime, and the political and economic relationship between the local government and the Central Government in old Tibet. This paper intends to discuss the formation and basic features of     

蕃尼古道及其宋元明清时期的主要遗迹（英文）

<正>Ancient Tubo-Nepal Road, namely, the ancient road from Lhasa in Tibet to Kathmandu in Nepal, is one of the crucial main roads connecting Tibet and inner China with Nepal, India and Central Asia and it is also a pivotal part of the Silk Road. Since its initiation, it not only has generated huge political, economic, social and cultural impact on Tibet but also has greatly influenced the communication between     

NEW BOOKS

A Study of the Political Landscape of Tibet During the Republic of China Considering the Tibetan political landscape in the early stages of the Qing Dynasty in conjunction with an analysis of the structure of the local Tibetan government(oligarchy,the two reincarnation systems:the Dalai system and Panchen system,both the secular and the clerical groups,the Dalai and his regent),Dr.Li Zhinong expounds his views on the relationship between local government and the central government.He comments that under ...     

Further Understanding of the Local Official Post System of Tibet in the Period of the Republic of China

In the period of the Republic of China, Tibet was in a special historical period of development. The reforms in establishing a Tibetan system for appointment of official positions went through different stages. In the system of the fusion of political and religious affairs, mild reforms were carried out so as to adapt themselves to different social changes and help maintain the situation of Tibet,     

New Books

<正>A Study in the Relations between India and China with Regard to Tibet(1904-1914)This is a translated book originally written by British scholar Alastair Lamb and translated by Liang Junyan,proofread by Zhang Yun.Alastair Lamb applies full use of various archives,letters,articles,blue books,and maps to narrate the history of the relationship between China and India with regard to Tibet.He analyzes political policies and practices concerning Tibet and the effectiveness of either the Chinese or British governments in the region from 1904 to 1914.The     

The Consolidation of the Suzerain-vassal Relationship between Tibet and Bhutan

Pho-lha-nas quelled the civil strife in Bhutan in 1730,and in 1734,and both sides of the conflict respectively dispatched envoys to Beijing to ask the Qing Court to confer honorific titles,which resulted in the final establishment of the Suzerain-vassal relationship between Tibet and Bhutan in the Qing Dynasty.However,the establishment of the political subordination relations did not necessarily eliminate the estrangement caused by the confrontations between Tibet and Bhutan in the past over 100 years.     

萨迦派(英文)

<正>Since its founding in the 11^th century,the Sa-skya-pa has been part of Tibetan Buddhism.In the 13^th and 14^th centuries,this sect developed into a dominant political power.Its leader was even appointed to an office in the central government that was responsible for administrating Buddhist affairs in all of China.Historically,this leader played a role in Tibet’s surrender to Mongolia during the Yuan Dynasty in the middle of the 13^th century.     

Tibet： A Tibetan Chinese View

Global opinion on and perception of Tibetan attitudes and affairs have been heavily shaped by one group of Tibetans, namely the Dalai Lama and his fellow exiles. They have done so on the claim that they speak for all sixplus million Tibetans, overseas as well as in China. On this claim they also seek autonomy of a so-called Greater Tibet from Beijing, which is the latest demand in their talks with Beijing. The adeptness with which the exiles use the English language and western political vocabulary, in particular, has greatly facilitated their presentation of those myths for the westem audience.     

Being a tourist as a chosen experience in a proximity destination

ABSTRACT

Being a tourist is not a passive attitude. It is the result of a conscious decision essentially based on how individuals build what they perceive as unknown and how they decide to get to know it. In other words, tourists deliberately create a distance with the destination which allows them to enjoy the tourist experience as something exceptional. This paper is part of ongoing research and focuses on the subjective construction of the otherness, since this process determines what is left to be discovered. First, a theoretical overview will introduce the concepts of usual environment, proximity and tourist. Then, we will focus on guided tours as a mechanism of mediation between individuals and places. Finally, we will move on to the case of Barcelona's walking tours and the local participants’ experience as a way to adopt a tourist's approach. Preliminary results show, first, four categories of experience of proximate guided tours: educational, expert, recreational and tourist. Then, they focus on the proximity tourist experience using Urry and Larsen's notion of the ‘tourist gaze’ and Tuan's theory on the tourist and the resident's points of view. According to these theories, participants’ motivations and their individual frame of reference define a tourist's point of view. Based on that, results show that proximity tourists and traditional tourists share curiosity as motivation but do not have the same points of reference. In spite of that, the feeling of proximity with the destination does not constitute a barrier to become a tourist. It is the conscious adoption of the tourist's role which makes the individual gaze upon the visited areas like a tourist, regardless of the proximity with the environment. This approach of proximity tourism constitutes a way to enhance familiar places and develop tourism in an environmentally concerned context where proximate destinations are being promoted.     

Ken Bullough: a scientist and a friend

The contributions made by Ken Bullough (1927–1994) to space physics and conflict research are briefly summarised. This brief obituary and review of his scientific contributions is supplemented by a complete list of his publications.     

Everything is at a time and in a place

The customary absence of anthropological perspectives in reports and policy recommendations on climate change and diversity loss is again confirmed in the current IPCC report and the recent UN report on biodiversity. This is a severe shortcoming since there is widespread agreement that goals are rarely met in these domains. Anthropology can offer a holistic perspective and local solutions which would make a difference. Policymakers are attracted to figures and universal recipes, but they need prose and diversity.