As an area full of mystery, Tibet, located on the highest
mountain area in the world, attracts people with different
experience to discover and explore her culture, religion, art,
customs and construction. This special group is well known for
their effort, bravery, kindness, determination, courage and
strategy, which result from their belief in Buddhism. Generally,
people.s first reaction about Tibetan Buddhism is the country,
TIBET. However, another place in China truly keeps the original
Tibetan culture----Andowa Tibetan in Qinghai and Gansu
provinces.
Tibetans initially built their country in western Qinghai- Tibet
Plateau. The 33rd empire, Emperor Shongzanganbu, made Tibet the
most prosperous in it's history and named it Tubo country. Around
the year 928, two princes, Eden and Yesong, started a war between
them after their father, the 42nd Emperor, Lamderma died. The war
finished in respond of Yesong.s moving. He immigrated to the
east, which is called Qing hai and Gan su province in China
today, and founded his own country-----Andowa. At the same time,
Eden stayed in the western area and renamed his country----Boba,
now called Tibet. The two countries considered Qilian Mountain as
their border. Later, some Boba Tibetans and their offspring moved
down to Sichuan and finally settled there as another Tibetan
group----Kangba Tibetan. Consequently, Boba Tibetan, Andowa
Tibetan, and Kangba Tibetan formed the three main Tibetan
branches in China.
Language Comparison
As time passed, the Tibetan language has been expanded between
Boba Tibetan and Andowa Tibetan. Boba.s pronunciation is fast and
soft with no stress compare to Andowa, which is slower in speed
but louder, with a clearer voice and more stress.
The Tibetan language is composed of 30 letters which include 4
vowels. 10 letters from the 30 are used as suffixes but 5 of them
could also be used as prefixes in pronouncing words. The 5
letters for prefixes are very important in pronunciation. Andowa
Tibetan and Kangba Tibetan still use the prefix pronunciation
rule while Boba Tibetan have already omitted the prefix usage.
This difference increased the block between Boba Tibetan and
Andowa Tibetan in communications. But if Kangba Tibetan would
slow down their speaking speed, Andowa Tibetan would have no
problem understanding them.
Dress Difference
As for men.s dress, the difference is quite small. Tibetan men
normally wear short Tibetan shirts covered with a coat. Some
coats are decorated with animal fur on the collars, sleeves and
other opening areas. The coat is made from sheep or goat skins
and is very effective for staying warm. Tibetan men often use a
slim cloth to wrap around their waist over the coat and leave the
sleeves hanging. When the weather is cold, they could simply
stick their arms through the sleeves and pull the coat on their
body. However, Boba Tibetan men normally leave the left sleeves
down while Aodowa and KangbaTibetan leave the right one down,
sometimes leaving both sleeves down. During festivals, Boba
Tibetan men wear hats, which are made from silk and animal fur.
Andowa and Kangba Tibetan men have no regulation on wearing hats
which are made from fox fur.
Tibetan women, on the countrary, have quite a different look in
dress. According to the slim clothing wrapped on the waist,
Andowa and Kangba women use red or pink clothing; however, Boba
women.s waist clothing is combined with their dress and has the
same color as the dress. Furthermore, women from Tibet wear short
Tibetan shirts and a long Tibetan dresses with no sleeves while
Andowa and Kangba Tibetan women wear long Tibetan dresses with
sleeves. In Tibet, except Llasha, married women must have a piece
of medium sized clothing with colorful lines (bangken) down from
their waist in order to distinguish them from unmarried women;
however, Andowa Tibetan women do not have this sign and Kangba
Tibetan women wear this middle sized cloth with nothing relating
to marriage. Boba and Andowa women normally use coral as jewelry
but Knagba women choose elephant tusk in their hair.
Marriage
Tibetans have very strict regulations about marriage. They can only marry to Tibetan natives in terms of keeping their pure Tibetan blood. However, with the different nationalities and Han people increasing their movement, this custom has been changed. Tibetans in Sichuan and Tibet can marry to Han people or other minorities, which means the couples have to change in order to deal with their different cultures. So far, Andowa Tibetans in Qinghai and Gansu provinces still keep their original culture.
Other Customs
The three branches all keep horse racing and wrestle as their
activities. But only Andowa and Boba Tibetans still have arrow
shooting, which has already been lost by the Kangba Tibetan
group. As for bull fight, only Andowa Tibetan in Qinghai and
Ganshu keep this custom alive.
People often misunderstand that Tibetans are great alcohol
drinkers but Andowa Tibetans are told to keep their distance from
alcohol and cigarettes. Women are considered bad people if they
touch the either of these two things.
Culture disappearance
From the three Tibetan branches, it is clear that Tibet culture,
especially in Lasha, has been influenced and even assimilated.
The reasons could go back to the event when the Chinese
government sent large numbers of Han people to Tibet after 1951
in order to provide Tibet with a different world. In the past 50
years, the Chinese government has offered RMB 30,000,000,000 to
Tibet for improving its economics. Tibetans are encouraged to
learn Chinese Mandarin and carry out new social systems which
definitely strengthen and reinforce their connection to the
Chinese government. Within 10 years, Tibet has made a great
change. Most city people are enjoying their convenient and
comfortable lives, even including the use of the Internet.
However, the culture, at the same time, has been lost even Tibet
still remains her heritage.
Similar to Tibet, Kangba Tibet has also been influenced by living
in an area of many Chinese Han and other minorities. Kangba
Tibetans often have to contact or communicate with other people
because of their close proximity. Tibetans even have the options
to choose schools which are run by Tibetans or Han people. This
shows the close interaction between Tibetans and Non-Tibetan
natives.
Furthermore, the Chinese policy system might be another factor
affecting the culture in Boba Tibetan and Kangba Tibetan areas.
In those areas, the first administrative leaders are normally Han
people, who are assigned by the Chinese government. The Tibetan
natives normally take the second highest administrative
positions. They cooperate with each other and make rapid progress
but the different cultural thinking truly influences Tibetan
culture.
Andowa Tibetan in Qinghai and Gansu Provinces
Andowa Tibetans live in the north part, far away from Tibet and
Sichuan. That area has not been developed economically or
educationally. No more than 80% of the Tibetans there even have
opportunity to be educated. There is only one university in the
capital city---Xiling, the others are all primary and secondary
schools. In those schools, people study different subjects of the
Tibetan version, therefore, people.s Tibetan language proficiency
are very high. As for the Tibetan language, it is said that the
secondary school students there can match the university teachers
here at Southwest University of Nationalities. Andowa Tibetans
cherish their culture and have a strong desire to protect it.
Besides language, dress, marriage, and social customs, they hold
a culture which has some differences from Boba Tibetan and Kangba
Tibetan.
First, compared to the three Tibetan branches of students at the
Southwest University of Nationalities in China, Andowa students
are more independent, persistent, inspired, spiritual, and
determined. Second, many experts relating to art, energy, and
medicine have emerged from there. Third, except for construction,
Andowa Tibetans keep their heritages in philosophy, medicine,
poetry, word use, speaking rhythm, drama, dance, music and
astrology.
As mentioned above, it is clear that Andowa Tibetans effectively protect their culture. Staying away from the outside world certainly plays an essential roll in this, but there are other ways that have been adapted to further their cultural protection.
1. Reading Buddhism Book in every family.
2. Art plays an important role in attracting people.s attention.
3. School education focuses on Tibetan heritage.
4. Presidents of schools are Buddha.
5. Regular lectures from Buddha in public.
6. Assimilating other ethnic groups, including Han people.
Perspective of the Impact of WTO
Confronting the impact from the Chinese government.s Western
Development projects and membership in theWTO, Andowa Tibetans
have a heated argument about which way they should take. One
group insists on closing the door and keeping the outside world
away in order to maintain their precious culture heritage.
Another group, on the other hand, encourages people to welcome
the world and learn from the western countries in terms of
closing the distance between advanced countries. After three
meetings in Xiling, the group which suggests learn from the
western countries finally failed.
However, most people believe that learning from others can build
a strong Tibet instead of just accepting materials or money from
outside sources. More and more, Tibetans realize the importance
of education in strengthening their country. They bravely leave
their area and study outside in order to bring back advanced
technologies and funds to make their world stronger. They think
that if they are strong enough, they can also protect their
cultural heritage while learning what they need to move forward
in this new world order
The enormous palace known as the Potala is the traditional residence of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people. The 14th and current Dalai Lama, however, has resided in exile in India since the invasion of Tibet by the Chinese in the 1950s. The palace was begun during the 17th century by the 5th Dalai Lama in the city of Lhasa, Tibets capital.
Po Shui Jie
Apart from taking spring season tours around Chengdu city in
April, what else could you plan in order to enjoy the amazing
warmth, breeze, and fresh colours?
The answer is to take the train from Chengdu to Kunmin, if you
really want to have a meaningful and unforgettable memory.
Change to a clean, wide, and comfortable bus to Jinghong, the
capital city of Xi Shuang Ban Na municipality.
This is where the border joins Burma and Laos in an area that
breeds a brave, industrious, and energetic ethnic group known as
the Dai people. There, you will observe a grand ceremony----Po
Shui Jie with many more participants in comparison with other
minority festivals held in the Yunnan province. This large-scaled
traditional festival originates in India and buzzes right through
to China via Burma, and its history in China goes back for 600
years.
Starting from the 13th of April and lasting for 3 to 7 days, the
Dai people put their whole hearts into this busy and spectacular
celebration.
The day before the celebration begins the local people surge to
temples and white pagodas around their villages, in order to
clean their spiritual constructions, and pilgrimage their sacred
spirits.
Children, on this day, are normally very ablaze with their holy
ablution which hopefully brings them future luck, health, and
happiness in the coming new year. This activity, named Gan Dai
(worship spirit), certainly lights up the festival flame and
arouses people.s passion.
As this minority loves water, more activities, during the
holidays, are arranged on or near the river. Sai Chuan (boat
racing), which is a team game, that includes men and women, it
requires effective cooperation to maintain high speed in the
competition. The candidates and spectators all shout shui., in a
local dialect, that means cheering up. You could probably hear
the enthusiastic sound if you were sitting on a flight, which
happened to fly over the river at the same time.
Meanwhile on the bank, some of the people pileup the sand into
grotesquery shapes for a creative thinking match.
One thing is for certain; you will realise and possibly identify
many engineers there, if that is what you want.
Also, Fang Gao Se (bamboo fireworks) will definitely attract your
attention by their special style.
The Dai people tie bunches of hollow bamboos facing towards the
sky, which contain fireworks and small gifts; they fix them on
steady shelves in open areas in order to produce beautiful
fireworks that spring out small gifts for the children.s
pleasure.
Very similar to Han (the Chinese majority's) temple fair, Gan
Bai, a local market fair, mainly consists of local shopping
products, and performing folk dances, which mimic the movement of
elephant.s feet using the rhythm of local drums.
Happy crowds also surround Peacock dances and rooster fights.
Meanwhile this holiday becomes a joyous occasion for the younger
generations who choose their lovers by throwing and catching a
little cloth package that contains cotton.s seeds. However, the
most special ploy is the pouring of water for people, which comes
from a touching story about 7 pretty girls who took their turn in
holding a monster.s burning head in order to put out the fire. On
this day, dressed beautifully the Dai people carry clean water,
and shout in their favourite Dai dialect Shui, they continue to
pour water for the people, and convey their best wishes to each
other.
It is said that the more water you get, the more luck you will
have. But most certainly, the delicious local sticky rice bread
should never be missed!
To make this dream a reality, read the following words, and make
your wonderful plan: Routs from Chengdu to Xishuangbanna:
Train: K 113 or K 2511, Chengdu-----Kunmin, 120-200 Yuan
Bus: Air conditioner, Kunmin---Xishuangbanna, 180 Yuan
Or
Sleeping bus, Kunming---Xishuangbana, 140 Yuan
Flight: Chengdu----Xishuangbana(direct), 1230 Yuan
Chengdu---Kunmin, about 600 Yuan
Tearful wedding?
Ordinarily weddings have an image of happiness, laughter, best
wishes, delicious food, and a new life. It should be a beautiful
memory bank for people who are lucky to find their other half in
life, but instead crying for the coming wedding, is a common
custom, and is definitely not an ordinary affair for Tu Jia
Minority.
Scared by a brand new life style, worrying about sharing the same
house with the bridegroom.s big family members, missing her own
warm and lovely family connection, feeling sad emotion, the bride
starts to cry for the forthcoming wedding. The date that will
take her far away from the place where she spent all her previous
life, as well as scolding the matchmaker, she must leave half a
month or at least three days ahead of the wedding date. Being
influenced by this sad separation, the bride.s mother and sisters
cry because they are losing their daughter or sister. There is
absolutely no happiness from the bride.s family. You cannot even
see a slight smile on their faces. This is indeed a sad
occasion.
On the wedding eve, however, both the bride and bridegroom set
ten people (9 unmarried boys in the bridegroom.s house, and 9
unmarried girls in the bride.s house. A celebration, sitting
around the mat, drinking wine, and singing happy songs, to bless
the new couple.s happy future. This small-scaled celebration
lasts the whole night and has a literal name as ten brothers or
ten sisters.
On the wedding day a singing competition is enacted by two
representatives, who are selected by the bride and bridegroom.s
family, this is an exciting plot. Before the team from the
bridegroom arrives at the bride.s house, a table is placed at the
front door. The two representatives then start to compete by
singing. If the bridegroom.s representative wins, the bridegrooms
team members can move the table away, thus clearing a path to get
the bride, otherwise, the bridegroom has to crawl to the bride
under the table.
In the bridegroom.s house, after the traditional worship to the
spirits, and thanks to parents, plus friends, the bridegroom and
the bride must race to their bedroom in order for occupying their
respective places on the bed. The left half of the bed is ready
for the bridegroom while the right one is for the bride. The
clever bride will normally sit in the middle of the bed, a sign
to imply she could be highly respected in the family. Then, a
cross hands wine performance becomes a must to accept the two
people as a real family.
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