Toast Songs Popular in Ngari

When guests came to visit Diya people in Ngari,the hosts would ask the young girl in the family to toast them with songs. Holding a wine cup, the girl would stand in front of the guests in turn, and after singing one song, would invite the guest to drink one cup of wine; each guest was serenaded with a different song, although all centered on blessing. From many different people, I have received details of the different songs that now fill my notebook. One song goes like this: In the azure a…     

Yadong Skirted by the Tea-horse Trade Route

PhariPhari Town stands at an elevation of 4, 360 met ers. Befo re Na gqu and Shiquanhe grew into towns, Phari was already known as the highest town in the world. Nowadays,it is the largest of its kind in Tibet. The houses of Tibetan residents, each wide and flat-roofed, are decorated with colorful vignettes. The town is surrounded by the towering peaks of the Himalayas. The most beautiful Chomolari Peak looks delicate and lovely in the sunshine. "It was busy with many businessmen from Bh…     

People Active in Border Area

In April, while Lhasa enjoyed sunshine, the border county of Cona, hundreds of km away saw heavy snow.Meidog?s Carding Machine About two years ago, Meidog, 47, came to the county seat. She carded wool into balls with carding machine bought at some 80,000 Yuan. Several years ago, she was a herdswoman. There are only four people in her family. Her husband worked as a projectionist, her son grazed the cattle and her daughter-in-law managed household chores. Therefore, they had to hire others …     

Nyingchi Airport：Maiden Flight Successful

The construction of the Nyingchi Airport started in October 2003. It received collective investmentof 780 million Yuan from the State Development Reform Commission and General Administration of Civil Aviation of China as one of the major projects in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. It is designed to handle 120,000 passengers a year as a feeder tourist airport. Nyingchi is located in southeast Tibet, neighboring India and Myanmar, and lies at an average altitude of 3,100 meters. The mount…     

DINQEN RABA DANCING IN EASTERN TIBET

Raba is one art type featuring bell and beat combined with dancing, intonation, drama, acrobatics and martial arts. Dinqen Raba is popular in the Dinqen area of Qamdo, and differs from other Raba forms in Tibetan-inhabited areas. Dinqen County is located in the northwest of Qamdo, which lies in the northeast of Tibet Autonomous Region. Dinqen stands on the upper stream of the Nujiang, one of the three famous rivers in China. Dinqen Raba originated from the grassroots' lifestyle. Before e…     

NEW BOOKS

Political History of Tibet： Recent Three Centuries; Tibet in Archives of Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission;Wang Furen and Tibetan Studies; Cultural Ties Between the Han and Tibetan in Ancient Time; Exploring the Roof of the World;     

Interview with Village Leaders （1）：Political,Legal and Public Services in Rural Tibet

The Tibetan Areas Development Study Group of the CAS, led by research fellow Wan Luolin （who is the head of the CAS Learning Advisory Committee and original administrative vice president） and research fellow Zhu Ling （deputy director of CAS Economic Research Institute）, developed the extensive research activities in the Tibetan-inhabited areas since 2000, While the study group completed the special subject policy report, it also published some learning achievements such as Choice of Roads to Development in Underdeveloped Areas-Case Study of the Tibetan-Inhabited Areas in Yunnan （published by the Economic Management Press in 2003）and Marketization and Grass-roots Public Serices-Case Study of Tibet （published by Nationality Press in 2005）.In July and August 2005, the study group developed a research program in Garze of Sichuan Province and the Qamdo area of Tibet along the Sichuan-Tibet highway.     

First Toranba Geshi Degree Issue

In October 2005, a total of 11 students of the China Tibetan Language Higher Institute of Buddhism completed their Buddhist studies for the Toranba Geshi title and a grand award ceremony was held. This marks the fresh progress that Tibetan Buddhism is making in Buddhist studies.     

Tibet＇s Last Caravan Charged with Transporting Salt （Ⅵ） ——Last Reunion Supper and Kitchen God in Legend

After resting overnight in Banggo County, we were completely refreshed.     

藏东村庄村长访谈录——西藏农村的政治、法律与公共服务（之三）

自2000年开始,中国社会科学院藏区发展课题组,—直在西藏农村做调查研究活动,2005年7-8月,课题组又沿着川藏公路在四川省甘孜州和西藏自治区昌都地区进行了学术调研,根据课题组的业务们工,我负责对藏区村庄的政治,法律及公共服务等问题的调研,在广泛的调研活动中,我从各村庄的带头人如村长（包括自然村的村长或称为组长）,党支部书记等那里获得了大显真实,生动而又发入深省的田野素材,笔在此将其中的部分访谈记录奉献给广大读,通过这些字,我们可以窥见西藏农村的发展现状及面临的问题。