The Last Trade Caravan in Tibet(Ⅷ):MISFORTUNE BEFALLS KELSANG WANGDU‘S FAMILY

Horse Racing and Wangchen‘s Death During the transition from summer to autumn,herdsmen usually take part in and enjoy horse racing. This is a huge annual gathering.Usually it includes three major stages:first,inviting monks to pray and conduct an invocation ceremony,second the horse racing itself together with various kinds     

THE LAST TRADE CABAVAN IN TIBET(XI)-The Business of Galzang Wangdu

『Galzang Wangdu Cooperates with Tseng Dra Every year herdsmen trade salt in spring and farm produce in autumn.At other times they work in animal husbandry,which it has been their economic base for generations. Galzang Wangdu‘s family is one of the most well-known households throughout surrounding areas with the biggest number of family members,livestock,and a     

TIBET‘S LAST CARAVAN CHARGED WITH TRANSPORTING SALT(Ⅶ):Barter Trade between Food Grains and Salt

By setting out for saline lakes in spring, Tibetan caravans on horseback return to farmlands in autumn to barter salt for agricultural products.     

THE LAST TRADE CARAVAN IN TIBET(Ⅶ)——Dongya Is Getting Married

Rural Marriage In Tibet,everybody knows the saying“hit a dog“;some even use it in literature, referring to“A romantic fashion of hitting dogs“.It cannot be easily determined where this phrase originated and there are certainly no records available but, notwithstanding, this phrase has spread throughout the community, referring to certain trysts between men and women.     

TIBET‘S LAST CARAVAN CHARGED WITH TRANSPORTING SALT(Ⅸ):Kelsang Wangdul Arrives at Lhasa

The road became worse by the south part of Namtso;streams of melting snow had eroded the road until it resembled a giant comb.The vehicle alternated between speeding along and a sudden brake that made everyone lurch about as though they were all intoxicated.     

TIBET＇S LAST CARAVAN CHARGED WITH TRANSPORTING SALT （Ⅳ）： WORKING WHILE SINGING

When the director woke us early in the morning, twinkling stars filled the sky amid dead silence the mountains could be seen dimly snaking away to the far horizon.     

Tibet＇s LAST CARAVAN WITH TRANSPORTING SALT （1）

Gyayang Xirab （1957-2004） was born into a far from well-off herder family from a pasturing area of northern Tibet. In 1971,he had only just begun going to the primary school at the age of 14.In 1978,he was allowed to stay as a teacher after graduating from middle school.     

TIBET’S LAST CARAVAN WITH TRANSPORTING SALT(III)——SALT LANGUAGE AND THE CARAVAN

Saltmen believed aboriginal gods were everywhere. If anyone in a caravan did something bad, offending the local gods, then these would punish the caravan and even bring down disaster upon it. If everyone respected and offered sacrifices to the gods, and followed all the caravan rules, then they the gods would protect them.     

TIBET＇S LAST CARAVAN Charged with Transpoffing Salt （Ⅱ）

After a gap of four days, we came across the caravan again. We picked an optimal point and took a picture of the marching caravan with the snow-capped mountain as its backdrop.     

THE LAST TRADE CARAVAN IN TIBET WANGCHEN WAS BUSY IN AN AGRICULTURAL AREA

Setting off from Lhasa we followed Lhasa River,passing through Chushur County,then,driving along the banks of the Yarlung Tsangpo River,we finally arrived at Nyemo Bridge.Next we headed northward and into a long valley.Finally,we reached Nyemo County.Although it was not a big county,it looked much more prosperous than Palgon County.A large government office building greeted us in a main street offering shops,both big and small,as well as restaurants-which also caught our eye.Nevertheless,the wandering la...