Qinghai-Tibet railway is under fast extension

The world’s highest railway, Qinghai-Tibet railway is under fast extension from Lhasa, capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, to Shigatse, the second largest city of Tibet. The extension work is in full swing and will be completed by 2015, officials said Tuesday. 

As of the end of 2011, 3.4 billion yuan (538 million U.S. dollars) had been poured into the Lhasa-Shigatse railway, about a quarter of the total budget for the project, Tibet’s regional development and reform commission said in a statement.

The Lhasa-Shigatse railway, the first extension of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway that opened in July 2006, is one of the plateau region’s key construction projects during the 2011-2015 period.
Construction workers have finished laying 14.08 million cubic meters of roadbed, about 77 percent of the total, and built 40 percent of the tunnels along the road, said Jin Shixun, chief of the commission.
The 253-km new line will pass through five counties and the 90-km-long Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon. Construction began in September 2010, with a budget of 13.3 billion yuan (2.1 billion U.S. dollars).
It is designed to have a transport capacity of 8.3 million tonnes of freight annually and will allow trains to travel at a minimum speed of 120 km per hour.
With a history of more than 600 years, Shigatse is Tibet’s second-largest city and the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas. Shigatse city is the administrative center of the Tibetan prefecture of the same name, which covers 182,000 square km bordering India, Nepal and Bhutan and includes Mt. Qomolangma (Mt. Everest).
Jin said the new rail link will play a vital role in boosting tourism and accelerating the transport of natural resources.
Tibet will start building another extension of the Qinghai-Tibet railway, from Lhasa to Nyingchi, in the next five years, according to the region’s plan for economic and social development in the 2011-2015 period.

Tibetan New Year 2012

Tibetan New Year 2012 is likely to fall on February 22, 2012 and will last two weeks. Tibetan New Year, also known as Losar in Tibetan language, is the most important festival in the Tibetan calendar 2012. Tibetan New Year offers the travelers a great opportunity of enjoy the annual festive occasion with local Tibetan People together. During the festival, Tibetan people celebrate by some ancient ceremonies which represent the struggle between good and evil. Lamas are chanting and passing fire torches through the crowds. People perform the dance of the deer and amusing battles between the king and his ministers, and so on, people are cheering for the coming new year by dancing, singing, and merrymaking.

The word Losar has been derived from two Tibetan words, ‘lo’ meaning ‘year’ and ‘sar’ meaning ‘new’. The Tibetan Buddhists observe the festival to ward off evil spirits and welcome the arrival of the New Year filled with happiness and prosperity. Though the Tibetan New Year is celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Tibetan lunar calendar, the date varies each year. The Tibetans follow the lunisolar calendar, which means that the date is indicative of the moon phase and the time of the solar year as well.
The Tibetan New Year is celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Tibet calendar. The date usually falls in the months of January, February or March according to the Gregorian calendar of Tibet. The celebrations of the Tibetan New Year begin on the 29th day of the twelfth month, that is, the day before the Tibetan New Year’s Eve. People get occupied with cleaning their homes and painting them new. The houses are adorned with different decorations and offerings are made known as ‘Lama Losar’. On the New Year’s Eve, a traditional noodle soup is made called guthuk. It contains dumplings made from flour and water. The dumplings are stuffed with each of nine different fortune symbols that determine the fortune of the person in the next year.

In 2012, the grand festival for Tibetans will fall on Feb. 22. On the New Year’s Day, people rise early and dress in their finest and new clothes. They make offerings to the household shrine to pay homage to the God. This day is restricted to the immediate family members only. On the second day, people move out and visit friends and relatives. They exchange greetings and wish one another ‘tashi delek’, which means ‘good luck’. In the evening, people lit torches and move around in their homes warding off evil spirits from their abodes. The third day is marked by visits to the monasteries, shrines and stupas. Clothes and food are donated to the monks and nuns. Back home, different traditional foods are made to celebrate the occasion.
Origin of Losar

Losar has been observed for over 1000 years. Before Buddhism came to Tibet, Tibetans would hold a grand spiritual ceremony to please the local spirits and deities. Step by step, most Tibetans have become followers of Tibetan Buddhism, and Losar has evolved into an annual Buddhism festival especially featuring dancing, chanting, religious practice and other entertainment activities.

Special Food for Celebrating Tibetan New Year

Every household will prepare Qie Ma, an assortment of glutinous rice cakes and stir-fried kernel placed in colorful wooden boxes. In the middle, colorful flowers and highland barley spikes are stuck as decorations. People will also soak highland barley seeds in a bowl of water so that it will grow small shoots during the New Year. Then it will be placed in front of the altar as an offering as part of prayers for a plentiful harvest.

When the New Year approaches, in addition to cooking barley wine, Tibetan women will also make Ka Sai, a kind of pastry stir fried with butter. There are popularly crafted into shapes such as ears, butterflies, slices, squares, and circles. The pastry is then dyed using natural colors and sprayed with granulated sugar. Ka Sai is not only a decoration for the New Year, but also snacks for guests.

Other Customs for Celebrating Tibetan New Year

Homes are painted, new clothes are stitched, debts and quarrels are resolved, intoxicants are drunk in the run-up to New Year’s Day. Homes are decorated with flour paintings of the sun and moon, and small lamps are illuminated in the houses at night.

The first few days of festivities are exclusively family affairs. Tibetan people usually visit their friends and relatives to give them best wishes. In the evening, everyone gathers together to chant, dance, and burn torches which they pass through the crowds to cast away evil spirits and pray for blessings. The city’s or village’s streets are generally very quite on these days.

Later, the festivities roll out onto the streets. In the following days, Tibetans go to the local monasteries, where they make offerings and celebrate the festival with Lamas.

Traditional ways of celebrating Losar have changed somewhat through time. For example, firework is a relatively recent addition to Losar, but have grown in popularity until today they are possibly Losar’s main attraction. These days, on the first day of Losar, good tidings ring out all across the country by means of the electronic media, and Losar celebrations are broadcast on television throughout the region.

King Gesar - Tibetan Epic

King Gesar is a heroic epic created by the Tibetans from a collection of ancient legends, myths, verses, proverbs and various other folk cultures of Tibet. Originating via folk oral traditions, King Gesar was passed down from generation to generation orally in a combination of song and narration for over 1,000 years.
The Tibetan epic was formed between around 200 BC or 300 BC and 600 AD. In the later years, some folk balladeers continued to pass on the story orally; this enriched the plots and embellished the languages. The story had gradually become near perfect and very popular in the early 12th Century. The epic began to be compiled mainly by the monks of Nyingmapa (Red Sect of Tibetan Buddhism) in about the 11th Century, and were mainly hand-written books.

So far, King Gesar has been collected in more than 120 volumes, with more than one million verses (over 20 million words) -- 25 times the length of the Western classic, Homer's Iliad. King Gesar, the greatest work of Tibetan literature, is easily the longest epic in the world, which has also appeared in ballads among the Mongols and Tus. The epic has been translated into languages of other brother nationalities of China as well as English, French, Russian, German, Indian and other foreign languages. It has now become a subject on study and is even discussed as a topic in the international seminar.
King Gesar of the Ling Kingdom was born in the 11th century as the son of the supreme god Indira. As a boy, he was very mischievous, but divine by nature and full of supernatural powers. His greatest enemy was his uncle -- a cowardly, vain and pretentious man who hoped to rule the country. Although the hero and his mother were banished, Gesar's exile enabled him to nurture his hidden strengths. He emerged victorious in a horse race to become king of the nation. King Gesar then began conquering the "kingdoms of demons" -- the Jiang and Hor (northern Mongolian people) kingdoms. The war between the Ling and Hor kingdoms constituted one of the central parts of the story. It began with a beautiful girl, Qomu, who was King Gesar's queen. The Hor king, also known as the "White Tent King," heard about her beauty and sent for her. When his request was refused, he sent troops to attack the Ling kingdom. After several battles, another girl was sent to the Hor king in the place of Qomu. But once the truth was uncovered, the battles resumed. The Ling capital, along with Queen Qomu, was finally captured by Hor troops. But King Gesar organized all his troops with the help of an important Hor general, captured the Hor capital, killed the White Tent King and rescued his queen.

In Tibetan-inhabited areas Gesar was known as the king of the ancient Tibetan kingdom of the Ling. The great hero and his brave army are kept alive in the rich, imaginative retellings of the epic. From early times, the epic was passed on orally. Today, a small number of inscribed woodblocks of the epic can be found in Lhasa, Xigaze and Dege County in Sichuan Province; a few handwritten copies are also dispersed among some families. The Potala Palace contains a statue of Gesar, which still attracts pilgrims on a daily basis. Gesar's deeds were recorded in the Kangba region more than anywhere else, and handwritten and printed versions of Gesar from Dege are considered the most authoritative works. People still argue that the village of Ngaxu in Northern Dege County was the birthplace of Gesar.
Gesar's image and story are immortalized in carvings, paintings, murals, woodcuts, embroideries, songs, dances and plays. Tibet has a research institute specializing in the study of the epic, whose research projects are listed as key State projects. Since 1979, the institute has collected more than 180 different song and narration versions of the epic, 55 woodblock and mimeographed editions and has recorded 70 performances of the epic on more than 3,000 recording tapes. Since liberation, China's related research institutes have been working on this monumental portion of world literature by gathering, sorting, collecting, studying and publishing the material on a large scale.
By the means of the integration of romanticism and realism, the epic tells the story how the hero, King Gesar, conquers all the devils and brings happiness to the people with his perseverance and magic strength. The epic also expresses the theme of the people's wish for justice and bliss. The background of the story spans from the three periods of ancient Tibet: Clanship in the late Prehistoric Times, the Slavery Period, and Serfdom in the Feudal Society. The epic is really an encyclopedia of the social and historical changes, relationships among classes and nationalities, ethnical cultures and customs of Tibet.

Top Unsolved 10 Mysteries of Tibet

Tibet at the roof of the world is an amazing land full of mysteries and inexplicable phenomena. Here we show the top ten unsolved mysteries of Tibet.

1. Savage Mystery
Tibet savage mystery, also listed as “the world’s four major mystery,” has always been lot of heated discussions. As early as 1784, China had Tibet Savage’s documented. The savage is said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Tibet and Nepal. Many expeditions have been organized to track down the elusive savage, but none have found more than savage footprints and questionable artifacts like scalps and hides. In recent years, people have continued to witness the Himalayan mountain activities and female savages snatched local men to marry and found a family. Already a number of eastern Tibet expedition in-depth study, but savage is still a mystery. So far there is no firm evidence to support the existence of the savage, but there is no way show that it doesn’t exist either. If it indeed lives in the barren, frozen, upper reaches of the Himalayas where few men dare to tread, he may find his refuge safe for a long time to come.

2. Terma Mystery
Terma is the re-excavated classics, hidden by Bon and Tibetan Buddhists when their religious beliefs in catastrophe. Terma includes possession of books, possession of sacred objects, and possession of knowledge.
The most magical part is the possession of knowledge. It refers to Terma buried deep in people’s consciousness. It is said that when a classic cannot be handed down in the event of a disaster, it granted by the gods of the depths of a person’s consciousness to avoid lost.
When condition allows, in some mysterious inspiration, the Buddhist scriptures can be written or recorded to the core, even by some illiterate farmers and herdsmen. This phenomenon is the mystery of Gterma (hidden Tibetan Buddhist scriptures).

3. Mystery of Mount Everest Flag Clouds
When the weather is pleasant, one can always sees milky white flag-shaped clouds on the top of Mount Everest. It is cloud. Prevailing winds from the west blow the cloud east like a billowing flag attached to the mountain. Ascending airflow caused by mountains creates the cloud. Blowing snow could also create the cloud.
Mount Everest flag cloud posture is multifarious, look like flag that flutter in the breeze sometimes, sometimes like great wave; Turn into the slender and graceful smoke sometimes. Because the change of the flag cloud can reflect the change that the high air flows, Mount Everest flag cloud is known as “the supreme vane in the world”.

4. Mystery of Red Snow
The surface of the Himalayas above 5,000 meters often dots with blood red spots and looks like red snow from afar. These red spots consist of Chlamydomonas nivalis, Chlorococcum infusionum, and other algae. In permanent ice and snow, the highland algae are widely distributed with strong cold resistance and would not die when temperature is 36 degrees below zero centigrade. The algae contain sanguine pigment in their bodies, so they are red in appearance.

5. Shambhala Mystery
Shambhala, also translated as “Shangri-La”, means “pure land” in Tibetan language. It is the myth of the Buddhist world and the birthplace of Kalachakra teachings. With regard to the existence of Shambhala, there has always been skeptical. And the Shambhala Buddhist scholars think that is a fictional paradise. Tibetan historical books recorded in great detail for the Shambhala. However, Shambhala, exists or not, is still a mystery.

6. Mystery of Rainbow Body
Rainbow Body is a mysterious phenomenon of Tibetan Buddhism. A lama who has acquired the highest forms of accomplishment can manifest what is called “the rainbow body” or “body of light”. It is said that the physical body of those who studied Buddhism very deeply will turn into a rainbow. The rainbow body is said to be the physical mastery state of Dzogchen of the Nyingmapa and the Bönpo where the trikaya (Nirmanakaya, Sambhogakaya and Dharmakaya) is in accord and the nirmanakaya is congruent with bodymind and the integrity of the mindstream to the heartmind) is realised as Dharmakaya. The corporeal body of the realised Dzogchenpa, which is now hallowed, returns to the primordial energetic essence of the Five Pure Lights of the five elemental processes through the Bardo of Mahasamadhi or Parinirvana. This is then projected as the mindstream through the process of phowa. The realiser of Jalus resides in the timeless, eternal space that is considered a mystery.
According to Dzogchen tradition, the attainment of the Rainbow Body is the sign of complete realisation of the Dzogchen view. As Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche (2002: p. 141) states: “The realised Dzogchen practitioner, no longer deluded by apparent substantiality or dualism such as mind and matter, releases the energy of the elements that compose the physical body at the time of death.”

7. Mystery of Shangshung Kingdom
The ancient Shangshung Kingdom created the earliest civilization of Tibet plateau. It not only invited its unique Shang Shung language, but also served as the birthplace of the Bon religion. The Shangshung Kingdom exerted profound influence on the culture of whole Tibet. However, its mysterious extinction has left many riddles that have not been solved through the ages.

8. Mystery of Guge Kingdom
In the mid-9th century, the Tubo Kingdom collapsed. The descendants established Guge Kingdom and created splendid civilization within 700 years. Later in 1630, Guge was overthrown by Ladakh. According to records, the slaughter and predation of the war is not enough to exterminate the Guge civilization. However, it just suddenly vanished like the ancient Mayan civilization.
Today, the ruins of the Guge Kingdom leave us some amazing architecture, ancient paintings, the mysterious Guge Silver Eye, and so on. But why Guge civilization vanished so suddenly and without a clue to trace is still a mystery.

9. Mystery of Storytellers of King Gesar
Life of King Gesar is a well-known Tibetan heroic epic and is the only living epic in the world today, which has all along been passed down mainly by folk artists orally. There are still more than 100 folk artists living in Tibet, Inner Mongolia and Qinghai provinces, and singing of the great achievement of the Tibetan hero King Gesar.
Among the many folk artists, those who can tell more than one version are claimed to be “divine artists”, which means they are inspired by God. Most of the storytellers said that they were summoned by God or King Gesar in a dream, and then they began singing uncontrollably. In Tibet, some illiterate teenagers can suddenly tell the epic of King Gesar with words more than one million. This incredible phenomenon is unsolved yet.

10. Mystery of Tibetan Shaman
As the host of Tibetan primitive religious worship, Tibetan shamans are said to have the ability to communicate with God and can talk with spirits. Tibetan shaman also enters supernatural realms or dimensions to obtain solutions to problems afflicting the community, to bring guidance to misguided souls and to heal illnesses of the human soul caused by foreign elements. They are intermediaries or messengers between the human world and the spirit worlds.
They perform a variety of functions in the social life of Tibetan people: fortune-telling, healing, leading a sacrifice, preserving the tradition by songs and storytelling, guide of souls, etc. However, as time passes, we still know little about shamans – their costumes, heritage, religious objects, spells, altars, witchcraft, divination, and so on.

The best time to travel to Everest Base Camp

The best time to travel to Everest Base Camp is Spring (April and May.) The mountain is virtually unclimbable in the Summer due to the deadly monsoon season. A small window of opportunity is also available in the fall after the monsoon passes and before the harsh Winter moves in.
The season for trekking the Everest Base Camp extends from mid- September to May. From early September when the monsoonal rains decrease. By end of September through to December the weather is usually stable with mild to warm days, cold nights. February, March, April, May, October, November, December are favorable to do Everest base camp trek.
The Mount Everest has an extreme climate. The summit temperature never rises above freezing or 32° F (0° C). Its summit temperatures in January average -33° F (-36° C) and can drop to -76° F (-60° C), and its average summit temperature in July is -2° F (-19° C). Weather in the mountains is notoriously difficult to predict. At night it is generally cooler, while the days are generally warm. Winter (January and February) will be bit colder but the days can be quite beautiful and warm if the sun is out. There will be bit of snow during the month of January, February and December. It is also important to make sure that you can stay warm and dry in just about any conditions. It is really unpredictable. The temperature could be as high as 20 ° C and as low as -15 ° C.
There are two Everest base camps on opposite sides of Mount Everest, namely South Everest Base Camp in Nepal and North Everest Base Camp in Tibet, southwest China. The latter one is located at an altitude of 5,545 metres (18,192 ft) and is used when climbing via the northeast ridge. The North Base Camp has vehicle access (at least in the summer months) through a 100km road branching to the South from the Friendship Highway near Shegar. Climbers typically rest at base camp for several days for acclimatization; to reduce the risks and severity of altitude sickness.
Since 2010, a visit to the North Base Camp in Tibet requires a permit from the Chinese government, on top of the Tibet entry permit required to visit Tibet itself. At this time such permits must be arranged via Tibet travel agencies as part of a package tour that include hiring a vehicle, driver and guide. The “tourists Base Camp” is located about half-way between Rongbuk Monastery and the actual climbers Base Camp at the foot of Rongbuk glacier.

Main Tibetan Festivals 2012

Deeply influenced by Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan festivals either have strong religious aroma or they are completely religious. Throughout history, under the harsh natural environment and hard working conditions, the people living on the snowy land yearned for a better life through their own efforts, with the God’s mercy and with the Buddha’s protection. It is the festivals that offer opportunities for them to express their prayer to deities, Buddha and nature, during which they amuse the Gods and themselves as well.
There are more than 100 major or minor festivals throughout a year. As long as you stay in Tibet for half month in any season, you will certainly to come across a festival there, and you will be amazed by festal revelry of the Tibetan people. The followings are some major Tibetan traditional festivals.  LOSAR  FESTIVAL
Tibetan New Year is the traditional holidays for the Tibetan. It’s called Gyalpo Losar, in Tibetan which means “king’s new year”.
The establishment of the Tibetan New Year has close connections with the use of the Tibetan calendar. The formal use of the Tibetan calendar began in 1027A.D.
Tibetan traditional New Year is the greatest holiday in the year for the Tibetan. From the beginning of the 12 month of the Tibetan calendar, Tibetans begin to prepare special delicacies for the Tibetan New Year.
Drosu chemar means “cereals container”. And it is the thing which must need on the Tibetan New Year. In the container are foods, such as Tsampa with the yak butter and roasted wheat seeds. And also during that all the people will dress very clean. And then from the 1st day of the year till the 15th day all the people will enjoy the Tibetan New Year.
SAGA  DAWA  FESTIVAL
The 15th day of the forth month in the Tibetan calendar is celebrated as the anniversary of the lord of the Buddha’s birth day, enlightenment and the death. During that festival, the monks will hold religious activities and Buddhist will honor Buddha
And chant sutras. People circumambulate sacred place in the clock wise direction and pray to the Buddha.
ZAMLING  JISANG  FESTIVAL
In English it means “world happiness day”. People celebrate the festival in the parks, and at the western suburbs of the Lhasa from the 15th day to the 20th day of the fifth month in the Tibetan calendar. It also known as “world worship Buddha day” it says that every Buddha will descend to the world and assemble together. Especially early in the morning, and the people will go up on the mountains and there will burn the incent. After all, the people will go to having some picnic.
DRUK PA  TSESHI  FESTIVAL
It is also known as the “holly mountain festival”. It is the festival to celebrate the day Sakyamuni first preached a sermon with prayer wheel. On this day, people with food go to monasteries and temples to pay their homage to Buddha, to offer joss-sticks and to circumambulate holy mountains. then there will have some picnics. Relax and enjoy them self. They sing and dance in the fields. They do not go home until the sun set.
SHOTON  FESTIVAL
In English it means “yoghurt banquet”. It is the one of the traditional festival with a long history in the Tibet. Since the activities of the festival include Tibetan opera dancing, it is also known as “Tibetan opera festival”. The Tibetan people usually celebrate the festival at the end of the sixth month of the Tibetan calendar. During the festival. All the residents of the Lhasa go out and gather in the summer palace”Norbuling Kha” park. They will set up very beautiful tent in the park. They will bring a lots of the food and snacks. and also the professional and amateur Tibetan operas.    
KARMA  DOEPA  FESTIVAL
It’s the festival of the bathing. This festival is the traditional folk holiday of the Tibetan. This festival it is the seventh month of the Tibetan calendar. At this time, the raining season done and the day will be very sunny.
During that time men and women, old and young, carry tents, curtains, beverages and food and go out in the high spirit.
TA GYUK  FESTIVAL
In English it means horseracing festival. The horseracing festival is celebrated at the end of the seventh month or at the beginning of the eight month of the Tibetan calendar every year. Riders in the colorful ancient Tibetan customs and with bows and arrows are agile and brave. Horseracing called (DAMA) in Gyantse,
In history, the most famous horseracing was (DAM JINREN) in Dam Shong grass land. It had a similar form to the DAMA in Gyantse.
 ONG KOR  FESTIVAL
In English it means “looking around the field” either “ harvest festival”.
The festival has no fixed date. But it is usually celebrated when crops are ripe, and it lasts three to five days. During the festival, people walked around the fields with scriptures. Now it has gradually become a festival mainly concerned with arts, sports and entertainments.
LHAPUP DHOE CHEN FESTIVAL
In English it means “the Buddha’s descending festival” it is one of the major Tibetan Buddhist festivals. The legend tells that the 22nd day of the ninth month of the Tibetan calendar was the day when the 33 – year – old Buddha sakyamuni preached a sermon to his mother in Tushita heaven and then descended to the world. This day every monastery is open for the whole day.
PELE RETOI FESTIVAL
In English it means “fairy maiden festival”. And also other name for this festival is “PEL LHAMO PARADE FESTIVAL” every 15th day of the tenth month of the Tibetan calendar, monks carry the statue of the Pel Lhamo in her chapel of the jokhang temple and parade around Lhasa. During the festival, there are various activities to do with gods descending. Women are more active and they think of the festival as a holiday for Tibetan women.
In English it means “the remembrance of the master Tsong Kha Pa”. the festival will start at 25th day of the tenth month of the Tibetan calendar is the anniversary of the death of the master Tsong Khapa, the founder of Geluk pa sect. on this night of the day, countless butter lamps are lit on the roofs of every monastery and lay person’s house in order to commemorate Tsong Khapa. It is a religious service with illumination, and this is observed in every house.
GUTOK  FESTIVAL
In English it means “banishing the evil spirits festival”. The grand sorcerer’s dance is held in the Potala palace on the 29th day of the 12th day of the 12th month of the Tibetan calendar. Monastery in other places will hold similar activities, too. Monks with masks imitate demons and spirits, and walk around the jokhang temple. Singing and dancing, they fire shots and shout, to bid fare well to the outgoing year and to welcome the coming New Year. In the evening, each family eats “Thuk pa” together. People light lamps, burn joss-sticks and fired firecracker. The whole town is bright and it is very lively.
Noticeably, though with more identification than variation or distinction, the festivals mentioned above are not necessarily all celebrated in each place. It is the variation and the distinction that make the festivals splendid.

Tibet Travel Permit, a must for getting to Tibet

When travellers ask how to get to Tibet, they often get an answer that they can get to Tibet by train, by air or by overland, which leads some travellers to Tibet ignore a very very important document – Tibet travel permits.
Some tourists might think that a Chinese visa is enough to get to Tibet. No, foreign tourists who only hold Chinese visa are not allowed to get into Tibet. All foreigners going to Tibet must have their travel arranged through a travel agency before arriving in Lhasa. All foreigners must have travel permits, a tour guide and a private vehicle and driver (if you are only staying in Lhasa, no private vehicle is required). Absolutely no independent travel is allowed in Tibet. Any rumor you may have heard that foreigners can travel on their own in Tibet is not true.
You should contact a travel agency at least 3 or 4 weeks before you plan to arrive in Lhasa. This will give you enough time to finalize your travel plans and for the agency to apply for your travel permits. You will need to have a specific itinerary listed on your travel permit. Major changes to your itinerary will not be allowed after your permits have been issued. Travel agencies can arrange your permits for you in advance before you arrive in China to minimize the amount of time you have to wait.
Please keep in mind that there are generally four documents required for foreign touristswho want to travel freely in Tibet.- One is the Chinese Visa, which you can apply in the Chinese Embassy in your country (When you want to go to Tibet via the mainland of China).- One is Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit (TTB), also called Tibet Entry Permit, which you have to obtain in order to enter into Tibet by plane or train.- One is the Aliens’ Travel Permit (PSB), also called Travel Permit, when you are planning to travel to the ‘unopened’ areas of Tibet.- The other is the Military Permit, which you have to obtain if you are planning to travel to some military sensitive areas in Tibet.
Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Permit (Tibet Entry Permit)
Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Permit which is necessary for entering into Lhasa or any other parts of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, is obtained through tour operators. When you take a flight or train to Lhasa, you will be asked to show this permit during the process of check-in. Furthermore, TTB permits are also needed by groups traveling by Land Cruiser but this will be arranged by the travel agency organizing the trip.
Important Issues About Tibet Travel Permit1. After having a permit, a travel agency could buy air tickets for you, and you can pass the check-in at the airport and get on board of your plane.2. You are not allowed to bring along with the TTB permit to travel to anywhere outside of Lhasa city. If you want to go out of Lhasa area, you have to apply for another permit, Aliens’ Permit.3. Generally it needs three working days to get the TTB permit if you supply all the necessary documents in time.
Aliens’ Travel Permits (PSB)
Alliens’ Travel Permit is required to visit ‘unopened’ areas. Which is issued by the police (Public Security Bureau, “PSB”). Usually you can apply for it once you arrive at Lhasa. For tour groups, our guide will ask you for the passport and TTB permit and submit it to the Foreign Affairs Section of PSB for the Travel Permit. It normally takes several hours and the cost is 50 CNY/person. If you are an individual traveler, you need to join local tours to ‘unopened’ areas, and the local travel agencies will arrange the PSB for you as well. Pay attention, there is no travel agency can provide ’PSB permit-only’ service.
Notice: If you want to do a Tibet overland tour from Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai or Xinjiang province to Tibet, you must got the PSB permit before your tour starts.
Which parts of Tibet are listed as the closed areas?At present, you have to apply for a Travel Permit if you are planning to visit the following places:Tsedang: Samye Monastery, Tomb of Tibetan King, Trundruk Monastery, Yumbulakhang.Shigatse: Sakya Monastery, Mt. Everest, Rongbuk Monastery.Gyangtse: Pelkor Chode Monastery& Kubum Stupa.Ngari Region: Mt.Kailash, Lake Manasarovar, Tsaparang, Years, ect.Nyingchi Region: Basum-tso, Pomi, Rawo-tso, ect.Chamdo Region: Chamdo, Riwoche, Tengchen, ect.
Military Permit, Foreign-affairs permit and other permits
Sensitive border are as such as Mt Kailash and eastern Tibet also require a military permit and a foreign-affairs permit. For Tholing and Tsaparang in western Tibet you will also need a permit from the local Cultural Antiquities Department. All these will be arranged by our travel agency one month before you enter Tibet. The Military Permit is issued by troop while the Foreign-affair’s permit is issued by Foreign affairs office in Lhasa. It normally takes 10-15 working days to get them all.
How to apply for Tibet Travel Permits
You will need to scan and email your passport and Chinese visa to the travel agency you are using if you wish to have your permit processed before you arrive in China (you can also arrange a tour by walking into a travel agency, but you will have to wait several days for your tour and permits to be processed. Most people prefer to have it arranged in advance to minimize the waiting time). If you have a tourist (L) visa, no other documents are required to be sent to the travel agency. If you have a student (X) visa, you will need a letter from your school stating that you are an official student there in addition to your passport and Chinese visa. The letter must include your full name, passport number and nationality. If you have a business (F) visa, you will need a letter from your inviting company stating your full name, passport number, nationality and position with the company. If you have a work (Z) visa or residence permit, you will need a letter stating that you are an official employee of your company. Tibet Travel Permits normally take 3 to 5 days to be processed. The permit then is mailed to you at a hotel or emailed for you to print and use. If you plan on taking the flight to Lhasa, insist that the original is mailed to you as you could have a problem trying to board the plane with only a copy of the permit. People holding a journalist visa are normally not allowed to travel to the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Permits are almost always checked before taking the train to Lhasa and are always checked before boarding flights to Lhasa. Without a permit, you will not be allowed to board a flight or train to Lhasa. It will be extremely difficult to slip into Tibet without a permit and tour and it will be even harder to stay at a hotel without a permit. Foreigner approved hotels will need to see your permit and passport before you are allowed to stay in them.

A romantic Tibetan restaurant in Lhasa

Makye Ame is a famous Tibetan restaurant in Lhasa. Located in the southeast corner of Barkor Street in Lhasa, Makye Ame becomes a great attraction with its strong Tibetan characteristics. Especially, the Tibetan singers give excellent performances on the second floor, attracting many foreign guests.
This restaurant endowed with profound culture significance and commercial value is even on the list of must-visit places in Lhasa for tourists. Many foreign tourists like to enjoy the exotic food in the restaurant while watching the ethnic performances, and put down their feelings on its message notebooks. When there was no space on the notebook, some even write their words on a piece of napkin and placed it in the notebook. The restaurant even published their messages on the notebooks, which are available on the downstairs store.
It is a good place to relax after a tiring trip. Another thing you can entertain yourself in Makye Ame is reading the customers' messages and leaving you own. Years later, if possible, you could come back here and recall the memories of your last trip, or you could buy a published version if you want.
Makye Ame, a yellow building, used to the residential place for the sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso three hundred years ago. The term Makye Ame comes from his poem, meaning "holy mother", "pure lady" or 'beautiful ancient dream" in Tibetan language.
Makye Ame has witnessed a romantic legend of the sixth Dalai Lama. One day Tsangyang Gyatso was having a rest there when a pretty young girl unveiled the door curtain, looking inside. Her moon-like face shone the tavern, as well as Tsangyang Gyatso's heart. This legend might be the best explanation of why this restaurant is in a romantic atmosphere.

How to get to Tibet from Xiamen

There are many ways to get to Tibet from Xiamen. From next January, you can take direct flights from Xiamen or Fuzhou, with a stopover in Chongqing. From Jan. 15, 2012, Xiamen Airlines will open two new flight routes to Lhasa, Xiamen to Lhasa flight and Fuzhou to Lhasa flight, after an inbound trial flight from Xiamen landed successfully at the Gonggar Airport in Lhasa on December 13th.
The Fuzhou to Lhasa flight is expected to open on January 15th. The flight MF8411 will start from Fuzhou at 7:20am every Wednesday and Saturday and arrive at Lhasa at 12:50pm, making a stopover in Chongqing at 9:45am.
The Xiamen to Lhasa flight is expected to open on January 17th. The flight MF8467 will start from Xiamen at 7:25am every Tuesday and Friday and also arrive at Lhasa at 12:50pm, making a stopover in Chongqing at 9:40am.
The air trip from Fuzhou to Lhasa is expected to take about 5.5 hours, and will cost about 3,000 RMB for a one-way economic ticket. For travellers’ convenience, they can book the air tickets on Internet, and can enjoy 50% discount at the beginning of the operation.
At present, you can take a bus to Guangzhou for around 160RMB and then take a flight or train to Lhasa from Guangzhou. The buses from Xiamen to Guangzhou departs every hour. The flight CZ3463 operated by China South Airline starts from Guangzhou at 9:10am every day and arrives at Lhasa 14:05pm, with a stop over in Chengdu. It costs you around 2500RMB. The train from Guangzhou to Lhasa departs every other day at 12:19 from Guangzhou Train Station, and arrives at Lhasa Railway Station at 18:30 on the third day after over 54 hours covering a distance of 4980 kilometers. It costs around 1500RMB for a first-class sleeper berth, about 900RMB for a second-class sleeper berth and half that for a soft seat.
Or you can take a plane from Xiamen to Xinning for around 1630RMB (the economy class up to 50% discount), and then take a flight or train from Xining to Lhasa. There are several trains from Xining to Lhasa. But most of them start from other cities of China and stop at Xining Train Station generally for 20 minutes. Only two trains, K9801 and K9811, start from Xining to Lhasa. The train K9801 from Xining to Lhasa departs every other day at 15:02 from Xining Train Station, and arrives at Lhasa Railway Station at 14:55 on the second day after over 24 hours covering a distance of 1960 kilometers, while the K9811 starts every other day from Xining at 22:00 and reaches Lhasa at 21:40 on the second day. It costs around RMB800 for a first-class sleeper berth, about RMB500 for a second-class sleeper berth and half that for a soft seat.
You also can fly straight from Xiamen to Chengdu, and then from Chengdu to Lhasa by train or by flight. The train from Chengdu to Lhasa departs every other day at 20:59 from Chengdu Train Station, and arrives at Lhasa Railway Station at 16:50 on the third day after nearly 44 hours covering a distance of 3348 kilometers. It costs around RMB1100 for a first-class sleeper berth, about RMB700 for a second-class sleeper berth and half that for a soft seat. There are more than 10 flights from Chengdu to Lhasa in peak travel season and 5 flights in low travel season, from early morning to late afternoon. The full price for one way flight ticket is 1500RMB and the airport tax is about 190RMB, while the roundtrip flight tickets Chengdu-Lhasa-Chengdu unusually at 70-90% of the full price.

New flight routes to Lhasa – Fuzhou and Xiamen to Lhasa Flights to Open from Jan. 15, 2012

From Jan. 15, 2012, Xiamen Airlines will open two new flight routes to Lhasa, Xiamen to Lhasa flight and Fuzhou to Lhasa flight, after an inbound trial flight from Xiamen landed successfully at the Gonggar Airport in Lhasa on December 13th.
The Fuzhou to Lhasa flight is expected to open on January 15th. The flight MF8411 will start from Fuzhou at 7:20am every Wednesday and Saturday and arrive at Lhasa at 12:50pm, making a stopover in Chongqing at 9:45am.
The Xiamen to Lhasa flight is expected to open on January 17th. The flight MF8467 will start from Xiamen at 7:25am every Tuesday and Friday and also arrive at Lhasa at 12:50pm, making a stopover in Chongqing at 9:40am.
The air trip from Fuzhou to Lhasa is expected to take about 5.5 hours, and will cost about 3,000 RMB for a one-way economic ticket. For travellers' convenience, they can book the air tickets on Internet, and can enjoy 50% discount at the beginning of the operation.

See another flights to Lhasa

Friendship Highway - The Road from Kathmandu to Lhasa

The Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway is a celebrated road from Kathmandu to Lhasa, renowned for its scenic wonders. This famous international road travels gently up to Kodari (1873m) from Kathmandu (1300m), before leaving Nepal to make a steep switchback ascent to Zhangmu (2300m), the Tibetan border town. The road then climbs to the top of Tong-la (5120m) and continues to Tingri (4390m), and then down to Shigatse and Lhasa(3510m). The road forks at Tingri, with one branch extending south to Rongphu Monastery near Everest Base Camp and then forks again, with another branch heading west to the city of Ali in west Tibet.

The highway from Kathmandu to Lhasa is very well paved and maintained by Chinese government so it will be a pleasant journey by overland to Lhasa from Kathmandu.
The overland route from Kathmandu to Lhasa is also an ideal route taking in most of Tibet's main culture cites, Sakya, Gyantse, Shigatse and Lhasa. Highlights en route are Sakya monastery - the largest monastery in Tibet, Shigatse - Tibet's second largest city, Tashilungpo Monastery - the seat of Panchen Lama, Shalu Monastery, Gyantse (Tibet's ancient trading hub) and the beautiful Turquoise Lake - Yamdruk Tso which is Tibet's largest freshwater lake.
Some tourists will feel the effects of Altitude Mountain Sickness in varying degrees. AMS begins at 2,000 meters, becomes pronounced at 3,500 m and requires adjustments for each 400 m above that. If not treated quickly, it can be fatal. The 1000 km long Friendship Highway, from Kathmandu to Lhasa, goes through seven passes over 3500 meters, four of them rising over 4000 m, one over 5000 m. Therefore, you have to know how to avoid AMS before setting your feet on the road.
The symptoms of AMS appear at different levels of elevation, like headache, feeling heart beating fast, shortness of breath, lack of appetite, thirsty, dizziness, fatigue or weakness, hard to fall a sleep, etc.
To prevent the occurrence of altitude sickness, visitors should have a proper rest and avoid strenuous activities days before they go to high altitude.
Visitors (with a severe cold, a high fever, acute or chronic pulmonary diseases, severe cardiovascular diseases), women in late pregnant and kids under three years old should avoid traveling to regions with a high altitude.
Do not smoke and drink alcohol during acclimation.
Do not take shower at the first two days of Lhasa to avoid catch cold.

A new world’s highest-altitude airport in Tibet's Plan

Tibet plans to build a new world’s highest-altitude airport an altitude of 4,436 meters in Nagqu prefecture, 102 meters higher than Tibet Bamda Airport, currently the world’s highest.
Spectacular Landscape of Tibet seen on a flight to Tibet.

What is the best way to get to Tibet

It becomes easier and easier to get to Tibet. At present, tourists to Tibet can go to Tibet by train, by air and by overland. Some tourists may wonder which one is the best way to get to Tibet in the face of multiple choices. Generally, getting to Tibet by train or by plane is the most common choice.
Some people believe that getting to Tibet by railway contributes to high altitude acclimatization. However, it is not exactly true that taking a train to Tibet can reduce the impact of altitude sickness for the train is pressurized, with oxygen pumped in; therefore the train is like that travelling at low altitudes, and you will only feel the affect of altitude when you arrive in Lhasa. Nevertheless, it is true that going to Tibet by train do contribute to a tour of a lifetime, with more spectacular scenery.
Now tourists can go to Tibet by train via the Qinghai-Tibet railway, from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Xining and Xi’an. Travelling to Tibet by train can be a wonderful experience of riding the world’s highest altitude railway. The whole Tibet train journey is full of countless breathtaking sceneries. There are 45 stations along the 1972 km long Qinghai-Tibet railway from Xining to Lhasa and every station has unique scenery. To provide travellers better opportunity to enjoy the stunningly beautiful scenery on that way, scenery-viewing platforms have been set up at nine stations, which includes: Yuzhu Peak Station, Chumaer River,Tuotuo River, Buqiangge, Tanggula Mountain, Lake Namtso, Nagqu, Damshung, Yambajan. The train will stay for around 15 minutes in each station.
While for those tourists who just get a short holiday and want to spent their holiday in Tibet, taking a flight to Tibet is advisable in order to save time. By plane to Tibet is the easiest way to get to Tibet with just few hours from China mainland or from Nepal. At present there are direct flights to Lhasa, capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Shangri-la, Kunming, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Xian, Xining and Kathmandu, and from flights to Nyingchi in southeast Tibet and to Ngari in western Tibet from Chengdu.
Besides, tourists can get to Tibet visa highway. At present, there are totally 5 highways to Tibet, namely Qinghai-Tibet Highway connecting Xining and Lhasa, Xinjiang-Tibet Highway connecting Yecheng and Lhasa, Sichuan-Tibet Highway connecting Chengdu and Lhasa, Yunnan-Tibet Highway connecting Kunming and Lhasa and Sino-Nepal Highway connecting Kathmandu and Lhasa. Of course, by overland to Tibet takes much more time than going to Tibet by train or plane. However, tourists can enjoy the stunning scenery and take pictures on the way more freely. They even can make a detour to some remote places to search new sights and experience. The more remote area, the more inaccessible and the more beautiful it is.
Therefore, it is difficult to say what is the best way to get to Tibet. When you get more time, why not go to Tibet by train to have an eyeful of the breathtaking scenery along the world’s highest railway and get a lifetime experience of the engineering miracle regarded by Forbes. But being a busy guy, flying to Tibet within two hours is absolutely your best choice. While for those who enjoy to challenge themselves, it is a great chance to get to Tibet train by overland.

First cinema at the roof of the world's roof - Ngari of Tibet

The first cinema in Ngari prefecture of Tibet was built at the average elevation of 4,500 meter in July, 2010. Ngari is known as the roof of the world's roof for its high elevation. Supported by the Apple Foundation, the cinema was named "Ngari Apple 17.5 Cinema" as it has cost 1.75 million.
The cinema covers an area of 654 square meters with one screening room and 105 seats. An updated collection of films will be screened here to enrich the entertainment of people on the plateau.
Limited by the natural environment, local villagers in Nagri barely have any entertaining life. The "Nagri Apple 17.5 Cinema" will become the main bridge between the local people and the outside world.
The Apple Foundation is dedicated to improve the educational and medical conditions in Ngari and has invested 20 million yuan in the establishments of public libraries, schools and cinemas in the agricultural and pastoral areas in Ngari.
Ngari in western Tibet is home to dozens of holy lakes and mountains in Tibet such as the Mt. Kailash and the Manasarovar Holy Lake.

The region still remains mysterious and untouchable for its high elevation and remote location. However, its splendid landscapes, typical customs and the strong air of Buddhism, still attract many adventurers from home and abroad to leave their footprints there.

Barkhor Street in Lhasa listed as top ten historical streets in China

Barkhor Street is located in the old area of Lhasa City of Tibet Autonomous Region. This well-preserved circular street area surrounding Jokhang Temple has strong religious and cultural flavor, which makes Barkhor Street a popular destination for both pilgrims and locals. Everyday, we can see many pilgrimages walking clockwise in the street, holding the prayer wheels. Some of them even move forward body-lengths by body-lengths.
Barkhor Street is also a business center. Numerous shops stand on both sides of the street and thousands of vendors can be found on every corner, selling religious articles, traditional Tibetan clothes, Tibetan knives, 'Thangka' (Tibetan scroll painting) and other souvenirs.

With a history of over 1,300 years, the street was built and developed in concert with Jokhang Temple. Jokhang Temple was built in 647 by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo (617 - 650), and it quickly attracted thousands of Buddhist pilgrims.
The large number of pilgrims gradually wore a path, which was the origin of Barkhor Street. To this day, many pilgrims can be seen there holding prayer wheels and walking clockwise around the temple from dawn to dusk.
Composed of 35 major or small streets, the street has a circumference of roughly 1,000 meters. It is paved with hand-polished stone boards, and traditional Tibetan buildings stand on both sides, giving a traditional flavor of Lhasa. Despite its relative narrowness, the street accommodates thousands of tourists every day and has become a symbol of Lhasa.

Tibetans celebrate Butter Lamp Festival 2011

Thousands of butter-lamps were burning in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, Dec. 20, 2011. Tibet on Tuesday celebrated its annual Butter-lamp Festival, which falls on the 25th day of the 10th month of the Tibetan calendar every year in commemoration of Tsong Khapa, the founder of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism, who passed away on the 25th of the tenth month in Tibetan calendar in 1419.
Yesterday, Tibetan monks lit butter lamps on the top of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Tibet, to celebrate the Butter Lamp Festival with believers gathering on the Barkhor Street in the evening.

Thousands of believers are gathering at the Barkhor Street around the Jokhang Temple to celebrate the Butter Lamp Festival.

Direct flight from Beijing to Lhasa is put into operation

A new direct flight from Beijing to Lhasa and Lhasa to Beijing went into operation on last Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011. This non-stop flight between Beijing and Lhasa is expected to boost tourism in Tibet. Previously, the flight from Beijing to Lhasa had to stop for refueling in Chengdu, Sichuan province.
The direct flight to Lhasa from Beijing shortens the distance between Beijing and Tibet, shaving two hours off the travel time from Beijing to Lhasa by air.
The direct flight leaves Beijing at 8:05 am and arrives at Lhasa at 12:25 pm, with returning flights leaving the region at 1:15 pm and landing in the capital at 5:05 pm. An economy class ticket costs 2,430 yuan, the same as the flights that stop in Chengdu.
The aircraft with about 130 seats has been modified to cope with flying from Lhasa airport, which sits 3,700 meters above the sea level.
Tourists also can take a train from Beijing to Lhasa, which is also a wonderful journey.

Lhasa train tickets available online

Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company began to sell tickets online since Dec. 10, 2011. Tourists can purchase T express train tickets to and out of Lhasa online, such as the trains from Beijing to Lhasa, Shanghai to Lhasa, Chengdu to Lhasa, Guangzhou to Lhasa. Passengers can log on at www.12306.cn, the ministry’s official online ticket-booking website, to buy train tickets. When registering the website, only four valid identity documents are practicable, namely ID card for Chinese resident, permit for Hongkong and Macao resident, permit for Taiwan resident and passport. However, for foreign travellers to Tibet, asking travel agencies to book train tickets for them should be an advisable choice as the train tickets are usually sold out several days before the departure and Tibet travel permit is required for boarding the train to Lhasa. Tibettravel Org offers Train Tickets Booking Service Online.

What to eat when travelling in Tibet

When pay a visit to Tibet, do not forget to have a good taste of the food on the Tibetan plateau. It might be an insteresting part of your trip to Tibet for Tibetan food can help you to know more about local Tibetans' life and culture.
Food in Tibet differs in different areas of this region. The staple food in Tibet includes roasted highland barley flour, wheat flour, meat, or red food, and milk, or white food. The principle in summer is the white food, while that in winter is the red food. Local flavors in the pastoral areas are mutton sausage, and dried beef. The flavor of the Tibetan food is fresh, light, and tender. Salt, onion, and garlic are the main ingredients.
Traditional Tibetan food consists mainly of barley, meat and dairy products. Vegetables are scarce in the high altitude. Tsampa is the staple food of Tibetan people, which is consumed daily. Tsampa is actually barley flour made from parched barley, un-husked and ground into fine flour. Mix the flour with salted butter tea in a bowl, rotate the bowl with the left hand and mix the food with the fingers of your right hand, rolling it into small lumps, and squeezing it into your mouth with your fingers. Other ingredients may also be added to add flavor.
Tibetan people eat Tsampa at every meal, and when traveling, it is brought along as a ready made meal. The salted butter tea is an indispensable Tsampa companion. Boiled tea is poured into a long cylindrical churn along with salt and yak butter, and vigorous churning makes the ingredients well blended and ready to serve. Tibetan people drink it throughout the day. Yak butter is a very important food for Tibetans. It is separated from yak milk by hard churning, and after the butter is separated from the milk, the residue becomes sour and can be made into milk curd, which is a nice thirst quencher and can be made into a delightful milk curd pastry with bailey flour.Yoghurt is an important dietary meal for Tibetan people. The creamy milk produced by yak cows is superb. Tibetan nomads in the eastern Tibet manufacture their yoghurt in a special process. The milk is boiled first, and after removed from the stove, some old yogurt is added in. and yogurt will form in a few hours. Yogurt has been a Tibetan food for more than 1.000 years.
Dried beef and mutton stripe is also popular food in Tibet. In the winter, beef and mutton are cut into long stripes and hung in shaded areas to be air-dried. The dried meat is crisp and tastes good, and can be eaten raw, since the cold temperature in the winter has killed bacteria during the process.Big sides of beef and mutton boiled with salt, ginger and spices are also popular food among Tibetans. They take the meat and cut them with their knives. The guests will be treated with breasts and spareribs. If you are treated with a tail of white sheep, it means that you are deemed as their guest of honor.Blood, meat, flour and liver sausages are also favored by many Tibetans. Other food stuffs include Momo (Tibetan dumplings), Thenthuk (Tibetan noodles), and yak tongue.
When you are in Tibet, you can find many restaurants in Lhasa, Shigatse, and Tsedang, All restaurants of various classes are decorated and furnished in the traditional Tibetan style. You can enjoy delicious Tibetan dishes while admiring paintings and murals symbolizing happiness and good luck in the restaurants. High on the menu are such flavors as sausages, barley wine, butter oil tea, beef and mutton eaten with the hands, yak tongue, steamed buns, zanba made from highland barley, pastries, sweet tea, butter tea, dried beef, and xiapuqing, or minced mutton and beef.
At present time, in many Tibetan towns, in Lhasa for example, Tibetan food is supplemented by Chinese food, mostly Sichuan food. Vegetables and fish become available in market. However, Tibetan people seldom eat fish due to their religion and custom. Restaurants serve Tibetan, Chinese, and even western food, mushroom in the streets to accommodate tourists. In Lhasa Hotel (formerly Holiday Inn), the restaurant provides Chinese, Indian, Nepalese and western food. Kailash, Tashi, Snow Lands, Dunya (former Crazy Yak), and Makye Ame are popular among Travelers in Lhasa. The choice for vegetables will be limited due to the short agricultural season.
After a tired trip from one site to another, I suppose many tourists wanna serve themselves with a drink. Tea, salted butter tea, sweet milk tea are popular beverage in Tibet. Hot boiling black tea filtered is decanted into a churn, and then fresh milk and sugar are added.Vigorous churning turns out a light reddish white drink. There are many tea shops in Lhasa serving the sweet milk tea. Tibetan barley beer, called Chang is popular among all Tibetans. The beer is mild, slightly sweet and sour and contains little alcohol. The beverage is worth trying. Soft drinks and beer are also available in Lhasa. However, do keep away from alcohol on your first day in Lhasa. Otherwise, you might spoil your Tibet tour for alcohol is not good for you to acclimate to the high altitude of Tibet.
More Tibet travel advice

Tibetans Celebrate Fairy Festival on Nov.10

Last Saturday, Tibetan celebrated their traditional Fairy Festival. The Fairy Festival in Tibet is believed to be a festival of women, so it is also known as the “Women’s Festival” in modern Tibet. The Fairy Festival in Tibet is celebrated on Oct. 15 in the Tibetan calendar, when various kinds of religious activities are held. On this day, girls and women are dressed up to make pilgrimages in temples, present Khadas to their respected angels, treat themselves to go shopping, have magnificent food, and particularly, ask for money from men to donate to the fairies. They can ask for money from any man they meet, who has to be very generous with their money on this day so that they can be endorsed with good luck in the coming new year. While in family, parents have to give money to children on this day as gifts to celebrate their plentiful harvest in autumn and the coming of a new year. And Tibetan People gather around at Jokhang Temple and women all dressed up with beautiful traditional clothes singing and dancing.

Tibetan women are dressed up with beautiful traditional clothes singing and dancing around at Jokhang Temple to celebrate their Fairy Festival.