Tibet

史History & character

Tibet is a vast high-altitude plateau, the source of most of Asia's major rivers. Tibetan civilisation — distinct in language, script, religion, and art — emerged in the 7th century under the Yarlung dynasty. Songtsen Gampo unified the plateau, established Lhasa, and adopted Buddhism. Over the following thirteen centuries, Tibet developed one of the most distinctive religious cultures in the world: the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism (Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, Gelug), the institution of the Dalai Lama, monastic complexes housing tens of thousands of monks.

Politically, Tibet has been variously independent, tributary, and incorporated into Chinese empires across its history; its current administrative status as a Chinese autonomous region dates from 1951 with the Seventeen Point Agreement, and the 1959 uprising and the Dalai Lama's flight to India. Foreign visitors must obtain a Tibet Travel Permit (in addition to their Chinese visa) and travel with a registered guide and pre-booked itinerary; the regulations change periodically and require checking current rules before booking.

Lhasa's Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple are UNESCO listed. The trekking routes around Mount Kailash, the Everest north-face base camp at Rongbuk, and the lakes (Yamdrok, Namtso, Manasarovar) draw visitors who can manage the altitude.