Tibet: A Pictorial Guide

Think of Tibet, and exotic images spring to mind... colourful people, deep turquoise lakes, snow-white Himalayan peaks and powerful yaks, silent creatures that form the backbone of traditional nomadic life. Four great rivers of Asia have their sources in Tibet, amazingly close to the sacred peak of Mount Kailash. Tibet has always been one of those places that inspire adventure; its remote, mystical charms have enticed explorers even to the point of risking death. Early visitors were drawn to defy its forbidden status to sneak into the region. Just reaching Lhasa alive was the aim of some of these adventurous souls. Others, often from British India, came as spies, traders, clandestine geographers and colonial invaders. The seductive lure of Tibet became almost impossible to ignore, as its wonders and mysteries became known to the wider world. The highest mountain on earth, Everest, is known here as Qomolongma. Mountaineers first approached Everest in the 1920s from Tibet, with permission from the Dalai Lama, before China asserted its claims in 1950. Amazingly, Tibet first opened to backpackers in 1985 for a short, heady period of independent travel. Today Tibet is still sometimes open for foreigners, but in a much more controlled way. Tibet is changing fast; wild-eyed nomads, traditional and modern men and women, and well-heeled elites are all found here. Much of the region has a rapidly growing economy, while other areas are still quiet backwaters where life remains little changed. Some of the images in this book date back to the 1980s, an era of great adventure; some are from more recent years. Tibet is truly incredible - an inspirational land. Depicting our journeys in Tibet over nearly four decades, this pictorial guide brings to life the history and culture, geography and geology, and above all the people of Tibet in a very personal way.