• Tibet Introduction

  • Tibet is surely a destination apart from most in the world, the rolling hills of the high plateau and the stunning Himalayas are none to any.

    Tibet Geography
     
    Tibet covers 1.2 million sq.kms constituting one eighth of Chinas land mass, nearly as large as the total territories of Germany and France. With an average elevation of 4,000 meters above sea level, and over 50 peaks above 7,000 meters, Tibet has become a real paradise for mountaineers and explorers.

    Tibet History

     

    Tibetan history can be traced thousands of years back. However, the written history only dates back to the 7th century when Songtsan Gampo, the 33rd Tibetan king, sent his minister Sambhota to India to study Sanskrit who on his return invented the present Tibetan script based on Sanskrit. Tibets history can be divided into four periods:

     

    1. The Tsanpos Period
    This period starts from Nyatri Tsanpo, the first of the Tsanpos, in 127 B.C (historians differ in view of the date, but this date is taken from the White Annales, a reliable book on Tibetan history) and ends in 842 A.D. at the death of Lang Dharma, the last of the Tsanpos, who was assassinated by a Buddhist monk owing to Lang Dharmas ruthless persecution of Buddhism. During this period some 42 Tsanpos had ruled over Tibet among which Songtsan Gampos rule was considered as the zenith. Songtsan Gamoi was an outstanding ruler, he unified Tibet, changed his capital to Lhasa, sent Sambhota to India to study Sanskrit and promulgated a script for the Tibetan on the latters arrival to Tibet, married Princess Wencheng of the tang Court and Princess Bhrikuti Debi of Nepal, built the Potala and the temple and the temple of Jokhang

     

    2. The period of Decentralization
    This period began in 842 A.D. the year of Lang Dharmas assassination, and ended in about 1260 A.D, when Pagpa, the Abbot of Sakya monastery, became a vassal of Kublai Khan, the first Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. During this period a little is known in history except that Tibet became decentralized into a number of petty principalities.

     

    3. The period of Sakya, Pagdu, and Karmapas Rule
    This period began with Sakyas rule over Tibet, followed first by Pagdus rule in Lhaoka and then by Karmaras rule in the Tsang region (Shigatse). The sakya period was the time written Tibet officially became an inseparable part of China.
    This period lasted from 1260 A.D to 1642 A.D during which political powers centered in the three regions of Sakya, Pagdu, and tsang successively ruled over Tibet.

     

    4. The period of the gandan Podrangs Administration
    This period is the period in which the Dalai Lama ruled Tibet. It started in 1642 A.D. when the 5th Dalai Lama overtook the ruling power from the Tsang ruler. It basically ended in 1951 when Tibet was liberated and came to a complete end in 1959 when rebellion led by the Dalai Lama was pacified and the Peoples Government of the Tibet, Autonomous Region was set up.


    Tibet Today


    Today in the age of information with jet aircraft, highways and the net work of computers, mysterious places are rare to be found.     Lhasa is the spiritual and political capital of Tibet. Lhasa means in Tibetan " The land of gods". There are numerous scenic spots and historical attractions, among which Potala Palace, Nobulingka, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Ganden Monastery and Jokhang Temple being the most famous. Shigatse is the second biggest town in Tibet. Shigatse means in Tibetan " The Estate that fulfills ones Wishes ". Tashilhunpo Monastery is its major historic attraction. Mt. Kailash, the near-legendary mountain in western Tibet is holy to both Hinduism and Buddhism. People come from far away lands to perform a pilgrimage, one even circle the mountain on the stomach. The mountain is the source of four major Asian rivers.

     

    Tiebt Travel Guide

     

    The popular time of the year to visit Tibet is May through October. To taste Tibet with its rich cultural heritage, incredibly dramatic landscapes and fascinating political history is a lifetime dream. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any details you might wish to enquire, certainly we can find a solution for any holiday requirement in Tibet.

     

    Recommended Scenic Spots of Tibet

    Potala Palace

    In 641, after marrying Princess Wencheng, Songtsen Gampo decided to build a grand palace to accommodate her and let his descendants remember the event. However, the original palace was destroyed due to a lightening strike and succeeding warfare during Landamas reign. In seventeenth century under the reign of the Fifth Dalai Lama, Potala was rebuilt. The Thirteenth Dalai Lama expanded it to todays scale. The monastery-like palace, reclining against and capping Red Hill, was the religious and political center of old Tibet and the winter palace of Dalai Lamas. The palace is more than 117 meters (384 feet) in height and 360 (1180 feet) in width, occupying a building space of 90 thousand square meters. Potala is composed of White Palace and Red palace. The former is for secular use while the later is for religious.

    Jokhang Temple

    Jokhang Temple has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. It is the spiritual center of Lhasa and stands in the heart of the old city. It was built in 647AD by King Songtsen Gampo, upon establishing his kingdoms capital in Lhasa. Through several renovations it expanded into quite a large group of buildings and now covers an area of over 25,000 sq meters.

    Jokhang has 4 stories and its roofs are covered with gilded bronze tiles. It was built in the style of Tang dynasty structures and adopted the characteristics of Nepalese and Indian architecture.

    There are numerous elaborately decorated shrines and rooms at Jokhang. There are also statues of King Songtsan Gambo together with his Chinese bride Princess Wen Cheng and Nepalese bride Princess Chizun in the side halls. In the center of the main hall, a gold statue of the young Buddha Sakyamuni, brought to Tibet by Princess Wen Cheng from Changan (present Xian) is enshrined.

    Related Tours:

    Tibet Tour Packages,

    Beijing Tibet Tour,

    Mysterious Tibet Tour