After a 14+ hour bus trip from Lahrong Monastery to Chengdu, we were ready for some quiet exploration and photography!
We left Lahrong at 5 am to get the bus for Chengdu. Rather than go to bus terminus it was decided that we meet the bus at a small town on a cross road where it was expected at 6am. At 7am we were still watching the little town wake up for the day! Waiting in the town was fascinating, we watched people emerge to start their day, music blared at 6:30am (wake up call we guessed), a yak herd wandered down the main street, small buses headed out in different directions. Our bus was the 3rd big one to come through. A small town, but a busy hub!
No ‘first class’ trip this time, we were packed in like sardines, (Asian sized seats) – we were to learn that it was not a bad thing given the roads!! (See the post ‘Road to Lahrong Monastery’ for more info!)
It took 3 rotations of drivers to get us there.The third driver was slow and heavy handed on the horn. Any opportunity to blast his horn was taken – oncoming traffic, blind corners, cars, bikes people on the side of the road …
A long trip!!
The Annual conference of Buddhist monks was held in Chutung Monastery, not far from Dzamthang. It was seen as a photo opportunity too good to miss.
On arrival we were greeted by the sight of a thousand burgundy robed monks spread out across the fields, debating, listening, chatting, learning, eating and networking. Delegates badges, bags etc made the conference genre clear.
As we arrived they were breaking up for lunch of noodles, bread, fun and laughter. We were the oddity again. The source of great hilarity and interest.
We were taken into the conference dignitaries’ eating area and offered bread and given gifts – clock, blessing scarf, scroll of a Tibetan deity, note book and pen.
As we went out to photograph the monastery, we found ourselves on a fast exit!! Unfortunately we walked out at the exact time an important Chinese official (unbeknown to our hosts) was due. We found ourselves face to face with a Chinese official vehicle – with the 2 officials doing pre-safety check before the dignitary arrived.
We had planned to go the next day but left then!!!! Passports were checked and details laboriously recorded. We were told it was for our safety and that we could visit the monastery without taking photos. There were more delays, phone calls and debates and finally we were taken back out of the TAR to check in at the ‘Exit/Entry Administration Service Centre, public Security Bureau of Rang Tang County’.
We were supposed to collect our bags on the way, but our zealous non-English speaking police officer drove us straight over the pass to the required check in. After a long, anxious wait in the Security Bureau our gear turned up and we were checked into a hotel.
We learned that the conference is usually 2 weeks long, but that the Chinese had limited the numbers to 1000 and the length to a week. More control!!
AMAZING – what else can one say, simply glorious.
We were afforded a private tour and free access for photography and video. We started in the main prayer area – SO beautiful!!! Under restoration and being carefully repainted and repaired, we explored the 5 levels around the gorgeous central Buddha.
Then we were escorted to see the records area, the hand made wooden print stencils, the 14th Lama King’s resting place, the storage area for statues representing the 8 Buddhist traditions and the views from the rooftop.
An AMAZING experience!!! A photographer’s dream. Here are just 15 of hundreds and hundreds of photos!!!!
We arrived in Dzamthang Village (may have another name, but is the village attached to Dzamthang Monastery) late in the day.
The annual Buddhist Monks Conference was occurring in the region and there was a heightened police presence and wariness about how our presence might be received. In order to be low profile we spent our first day in the village and climbed a ‘small hill’ behind the village with a picnic lunch. This hill of about 2000m jutted above the village (already at 3,500m!). It was interesting climbing at altitude. The eldest daughter, Shuklah, and a beautiful nun carried our lunch and gear up. We breathlessly managed to just get ourselves up there!!
Again we found that there was no Internet access at all. Lots of Tibetans have iPhones, but no access to anything on-line. Chinese control of the Internet had been obvious since landing in Chengdu – no FaceBook, Twitter, Google, Wikipedia, Linked-In … etc. The absolute control in this region was marked!
The village itself was gorgeous. Yaks, cows, dogs everywhere! The buildings opened to lovely homes and glorious temples. Unfortunately the family was reduced to using the communal drop pit toilet (and of course, so were we!) We later discovered that there was a typical Chinese style bathroom in the house but it leaked and they had been unable to get it repaired for months. No plumber would come. Interestingly the usual ‘Chinese efficiency’ seemed to be selectively applied – their police station and accommodation was the best in town!
Our beautiful host family were very upset by police intimidation and indoctrination processes. We certainly saw people look out of their doors before going out. The Tibetan children were attending the Chinese school (from 8am to 6pm daily, 6 days a week plus at least an hour of homework every day). The kids are getting a very traditional Chinese education, in Chinese. Tibetans are concerned about when the children will learn their own language and culture.
There were Chinese flags everywhere, including on the Monastery and school.
The oldest lady in the house explained some of the challenges they faced. For example villagers were told that they would be paid for extending their houses. Chinese labourers arrived to help and did very shoddy work. Tibetans have had to remove walls, leave houses etc. undertaken in this scheme. Our hosts have had to take down an unsafe wall (this explained the piles of rubble around the boundary of the property). Others were moved into the new homes that were then declared unsafe. We certainly saw piles of stone everywhere and deserted houses all over the place. The Tibetans weren’t reimbursed for work done/paid for as they had been promised.
Wow! Wow! Wow! This monastery sat at the top of a huge mountain and was splendid! Stunning views (all the way up!!), beautiful colours … speechless!!
Sitting on the mountain top, 1800m above the town (already at 4,500m altitude). Needless to say it was a spectacular drive up!! We zigzagged up through incredible hairpin turns, keeping our eyes closed against the thought that someone might be coming down as we climbed. Couldn’t worry about the down traffic too much, or one would miss the glorious view – thin white ribbons of road below, dense foliage, and the town slowly becoming more miniature with each twist.
We saw yaks grazing in sunny pastures and Tibetans farming and living on steep slopes.
Near the glorious monastery were incredible homes, perched on the hillside. They must have simply stunning views!!! The Chinese have ordered the occupants out – saying there were ‘too many people’.
This million dollar real estate was vacated by Tibetans on demand. Wonder who is moving in?
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