Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
worn off the shoulder with great bravado by nomads and Khampas (people from Kham).
An inner pouch is often used to store money belts, amulets, lunch and even small live-
stock. Most women wear a long dress, topped with a colourful striped apron known as a
pangden
. Traditional Tibetan boots have turned-up toes, so as to kill fewer bugs when
walking (or so it is said).
Women generally set great store in jewellery and invest their personal wealth and dowry
in it. Coral is particularly valued (as Tibet is so far from the sea), as are Baltic amber, Indi-
an ivory, Afghan turquoise and silver of all kinds. The Tibetan
zee,
a unique elongated
agate stone with black and white markings, is highly prized for its protective qualities and
can fetch tens of thousands of US dollars. Earrings are common in both men and women
and they are normally tied on with a piece of cord. You'll see visiting Tibetans shopping
for all these goodies around the Barkhor in Lhasa.
Tibetan women, especially those from Amdo (northeastern Tibet and Qīnghǎi), wear
their hair in 108 braids, an auspicious number in Buddhism. Khampa men plait their hair
with red or black tassels and wind the lot around their head. Cowboy hats are popular in
summer and fur hats are common in winter. Most pilgrims carry a
thogcha
(good luck
charm) or
gau
(amulet), with perhaps a picture of the owner's personal deity or the Dalai
Lama inside.
Torma
(or
towa
) are small offerings made of yak butter and tsampa adorned with coloured
medallions of butter. They probably developed as a Buddhist substitute for animal sacri-
fice. Most are made during the Shötun festival and remain on display throughout the year.
The Politics of People
Modern political boundaries and history have led to the fracture of the Tibetan nation.
Large areas of historical and ethnic Tibet are now incorporated into the Chinese provinces
of Qīnghǎi and Gānsù (traditionally known as Amdo), and Sìchuān and Yúnnán (tradition-
ally known as Kham). More Tibetans now live outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region
(TAR) than inside it.
Population Control
Population control is a cornerstone of Chinese government policy, but the regulations are
generally less strictly enforced in Tibet. 'Minority nationalities' such as the Tibetans are
