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Author Topic: East Tibet revisited  (Read 1913 times)

Petrus

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East Tibet revisited
« on: July 31, 2016, 05:52:04 am »

Just returned from a 22 day 4X4 trip to Amdo and Kham provinces of old Tibet (Sichuan and Qinghai in present day China). 3500km of driving, staying in hotels, hostels, nomad tents, private homes. Several encounters with the police, even a SWAT raid to our hotel in Repkong, could not visit Larung Gar buddhist institute which is being partly leveled by the government. If somebody wants a more detailed story and agency contacts just PM me. Total land cost of the 22 day trip (9 clients, 3 4X4 cars with drivers and 2 guides) from Chengdu to Xining, full board, was 2265€/pax.

Some samples follow.

Young monks at Zamthang monastery who had never seen foreigners before.

Repkong shaman festival in the village of Yinzhamucun 20 km North-East of Repkong.

At the end of the ceremony the head shaman climbs a pole and cuts his head with a knife.

Local spectators protect themselves from evil spirits by raising a spirit catcher between them and the shaman.
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Ray

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Re: East Tibet revisited
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2016, 11:23:08 am »

Hi Petrus,
I envy your trip to Tibet. It's a country I've always wanted to visit ever since I first trekked in Nepal in 1964 and took a few Kodachrome shots of Tibetan refugees in camps, who had fled Tibet as a result of the Chinese invasion.

However, I'm now put off by the prospect of crowds of Chinese tourists holding their iPhones above their head to photograph any interesting event.
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Petrus

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Re: East Tibet revisited
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2016, 11:39:10 am »


However, I'm now put off by the prospect of crowds of Chinese tourists holding their iPhones above their head to photograph any interesting event.

There were only 6 Chinese tourists = camera club members there, all had 2 big Nikons or Canons with long zooms. You can see 2 of them against the temple wall at the left side background. The shaman was more than happy to whack them with a 3 foot stick it they got too close. All the people holding the spirit catchers were locals. Somewhat annoying nonetheless, but what can one do?

East Tibet is the place to go for real Tibet now, as (basically) no permits are needed to go there and no fixed itineraries needed either, unlike for the Tibetan Autonomous Region around Lhasa. Tibetan travel agencies can not advertise Amdo and Kham freely as trips to Tibet as the government is likely to close down websites promoting those areas and giving info about the real extent of the old Tibet. Most tibetans live in Amdo and Kham, by the way, and monasteries are thriving there.

My article and pictures from the previous trip in 2013 is here, in case someone missed it: https://luminous-landscape.com/forgotten-land-defiant-people-tibet/?s=tibet
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Ray

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Re: East Tibet revisited
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2016, 09:33:52 pm »

Thanks for the information and interesting images. I had tended to assume that the Tibetan Autonomous Region, which includes Lhasa, is the 'real' Tibet and that  the ancient way of life in the more eastern provinces would have been lost to Chinese modernization.

This appears not to be the case, judging by your images. I think I'll include a visit to Amdo and Kham on my next trip to China, hoping I've not left it too late in my old age. I guess there would be a lack of comfortable hotels, right?
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Petrus

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Re: East Tibet revisited
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2016, 01:53:12 am »

I guess there would be a lack of comfortable hotels, right?

Yes and no. In bigger places the new hotels are surprisingly modern, even if the electricity and/or water is not reliable. In smaller places hotels might still have outhouses with no running water, or common toilets at the end of the corridor (again often with no flushing…). In Yarchen Gar during the festival we nine had to sleep in one 3 bed room, with 3 mattresses on the floor, one working toilet downstairs in the whole hotel. Just part of the travel experience…

Free wi-fi in practically all hotels, by the way (and a lot of electricity outlets), but of course Google is blocked (and gmail) and Facebook also. Whatsapp worked with wi-fi.
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Ray

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Re: East Tibet revisited
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2016, 07:22:38 pm »

As long as one can choose where to stay and arrange one's schedule so that reasonable accommodation is always available, I guess it would not be a problem.

The last time I trekked in Nepal, before the earthquake, I experienced some problems with my guide tending to take me to second-rate hotels in each location, where it seemed that he and the porter got special privileges, rather than the best hotel with the best view that I preferred.
Since I was hiring the services of the guide and porter at a daily rate, which excluded meals and accommodation, I asserted my right to stay at the hotel of my choice, which caused a slight rift.

Here's a shot of Tibetan kids in a refugee camp near Kathmandu, taken about 52 years ago.


« Last Edit: August 01, 2016, 07:42:25 pm by Ray »
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Ray

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Re: East Tibet revisited
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2016, 11:31:57 pm »

Well, I'm very surprised at how popular Tibet is, among Luminous Landscape members.  ;)

For me there is a deep and profound mysticism in the ancient traditions in this region. I would have thought that serious photographers would delight in capturing aspect of this ancient way of life,

Sadly, it seems that most people on this site are more interested in trivial items of fashion, and incidental street scenes of no general significance.  :(
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GrahamBy

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Re: East Tibet revisited
« Reply #7 on: August 05, 2016, 01:22:18 pm »

Sadly, it seems that most people on this site are more interested in trivial items of fashion, and incidental street scenes of no general significance.  :(

Thanks sweetie, kisses to you too.
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Petrus

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Re: East Tibet revisited
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2016, 04:48:27 am »

Well, I'm very surprised at how popular Tibet is, among Luminous Landscape members.  ;)

For me there is a deep and profound mysticism in the ancient traditions in this region. I would have thought that serious photographers would delight in capturing aspect of this ancient way of life,

Sadly, it seems that most people on this site are more interested in trivial items of fashion, and incidental street scenes of no general significance.  :(

There are two reasons why I have made a couple of posts about my trips to Eastern Tibet:

1) to spread the word that Tibet is a much larger area than the Chinese would like to word to believe, and that there is a lot to see in the eastern areas of the country without the travel restrictions which are in force in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR).

2) to show that it is possible to travel there cheaper than paying $7000 per week for a "photo workshop". We paid $2500/pax, all inclusive, for a 22 day jeep trip, just as an example of reasonable costs, even when having guides etc  (Sorry, Kevin). It would be legal to travel there even using public transportation, but highly inconvenient unless able to speak Tibetan/Chinese.

Of course travel there is somewhat time consuming and not at all luxurious at times, thus not for all of us.
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Petrus

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Re: East Tibet revisited
« Reply #9 on: August 23, 2016, 06:32:54 am »

Basic albums from the last trip are now of Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/112698197@N08/albums

Albums 1-3 are from last July, albums 5-8 from the previous visit in 2013.
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BernardLanguillier

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Re: East Tibet revisited
« Reply #10 on: August 23, 2016, 08:48:10 pm »

Beautiful images, I love the 2nd and 3rd ones!

I am jalous too, would like to visit the Himalayas again.

Cheers,
Bernard

Lesley

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Re: East Tibet revisited
« Reply #11 on: August 23, 2016, 10:28:29 pm »

Just looked at your photos. Thank you. We are going to go! Now we just have to figure out how and when and where, and all the other details.
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