Religion in Tibet, China
The official religion of Tibet is the northern branch of Buddhism – Lamaism. It appeared here in the 2nd century, then assimilated into culture, and over time became an integral part of all spheres of life in the region. Buddhism is practiced by almost the entire population of Tibet and only a small part of it is Islam.
Transport in Tibet, China
According to Itypejob, there are two airports in Tibet – in Lhasa and Chamdo. Lhasa Airport receives aircraft from Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Chongqing and Kathmandu. There are currently no domestic flights. The world’s highest railway is being built in the region, averaging 3,000 m. It will connect Xining, the capital of Qinghai province, with Lhasa, passing through Golmud. Tibet has 15 trails starting in Lhasa. The tracks are asphalted; on other roads you can only move in jeeps. There are regular bus services between many Tibetan cities, but buses rarely run on schedule.
In Lhasa public modes of transport are buses, mini-buses, taxis and rickshaws. The most popular mode of transport is mini-buses, which cost 2 RMB. Large groups of tourists travel on custom buses adapted to difficult off-road conditions. Taxis are silver-green in color. The cost of a taxi ride within the city is the same, outside the capital the cost is negotiated with the driver. You can also rent a bike or motorbike for a small fee. If you take a motorcycle, you should take care of gasoline: there are few gas stations outside Lhasa, so you need to refuel in advance. International driving license in China are not valid, so car rental is only possible with a driver. The approximate cost of renting a jeep is from 40 to 100 USD per day.
Plant and Animal World in Tibet, China
Typical representatives of the animal world of Tibet are yak, musk deer, bharal (blue sheep), Tibetan antelope, Tibetan gazelle, wild donkey, giant panta, kyang (wild donkey); birds – raven, goose, red duck, ibis and others. In total, there are 142 species of mammals, 473 species of birds, 49 species of reptiles, 44 species of amphibians, 64 species of fish and more than 2,300 species of insects.
Tibet is also the largest plant kingdom, with about 5,000 species. In the mountains at altitudes of about 5000 m in the north and about 4500 m in the center, cushion semi-deserts are common, where perennial cushion plants with short, strongly branched and closely spaced shoots predominate.
In the northern and central regions above 4000 m, high-mountain teresken deserts predominate. The most common plants in this belt are teresken, hair and feather grass; mosses and lichens are found on steep slopes. On the territory of the entire region, altitudes from 3000 to 4000 m are occupied by sagebrush deserts. The grass cover here is more dense.
Forests are common in the southeast of Tibet, as well as in deep gorges. Here you can see most of the tree species that are characteristic of a vast strip from the tropical zone to the cold zone. The most common are tall-stemmed pine, highland pine, Yunnan pine, Himalayan spruce (rough), Himalayan fir, pointed smooth fir, hemlock, Chinese sequoia (evergreen) Tibetan larch, Tibetan cypress and juniper.
There are more than 1000 species of wild medicinal plants in the region, among them more than 400 species are medicinal herbs used in Tibetan medicine.
Minerals in Tibet, China
To date, more than 90 types of minerals have been discovered in Tibet and reserves of 26 of them have been explored. Minerals include chromium iron ore, lithium, copper, boron, magnesite, bologna spar, arsenide, muscovite, peat, gypsum, salt, mirabilite, ceramic material, sulfur, phosphorus, potassium, diatomite, Icelandic spar, corundum, rock crystal, agate.
Banks in Tibet, China
Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 17:00, on Saturday – from 8:00 to 11:30.
Money in Tibet, China
The national currency of Tibet is the Chinese Yuan Renminbi. There are 10 jiao in one yuan and 10 fen in one jia. There are banknotes in circulation in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, 1 yuan, 5, 2, 1 jiao; coins – 1 yuan, 5, 2, 1 jiao, 5, 1 fen.
ATMs can be found in Lhasa. You can withdraw money by credit card only at banks in Lhasa and Shigatse, as well as at several hotels in Lhasa. Visa, Master Card, American Express credit cards are accepted. Traveler’s checks can be cashed at Bank of China branches.
Rate: 1 Chinese Yuan (CNY) = 0.15 USD
Political State in Tibet, China
From 1642 until the Chinese occupation in 1951 in Tibet, the head of state was the Dalai Lama, a clergyman whose power was not inherited, but as a result of “reincarnation”, that is, the incarnation of the deceased Dalai Lama in a new body. Since 1965, Tibet has been an autonomous region within China. The “government in exile”, headed by the Dalai Lama, continues the struggle for the independence of Tibet.
Population in Tibet, China
The Tibet Autonomous Region has the smallest population in the country, which is 2.62 million people. Most of the population is represented by Tibetans and Qiang close to them, well, dulong, abor, mishmi, dafla.
Language:
The official language of Tibet is Tibetan. The emergence of Tibetan writing dates back to the 7th century, when King Songtsen Gampo equipped and sent his minister to India to create the alphabet of his native language. The Tibetan alphabet was compiled according to the Sanskrit type. Not everyone knows Chinese, and English is known only to workers in the tourism business.
Cuisine in Tibet, China
Tibetan cuisine is very exotic. She is a mixture of Asian influences and her own traditions. The basis of the cuisine is rice cooked without salt. Pieces of meat or just hot sauce are added to it. The Tibetans’ favorite meat is yak meat, the specialty of which is momo (fried dumplings). Cheese, cottage cheese, kefir are prepared from yak milk, but these products have a characteristic smell. Tszamba is also a traditional dish – roasted barley flour with salt and yak butter, which is eaten as a soup or with tea. There are no fish and seafood on the restaurant menu. Sweet dishes and fruits are also uncommon; the only dessert is brushwood with honey.
The traditional drink is the so-called “rice wine”. For its preparation, boiled rice is taken, special spices are added to it, kept for a week, then defended, and as a result, a low-alcohol (five degrees) exotic drink is obtained. Also popular is lassi, made with yogurt and fruit. An amateur drink is traditional Tibetan tea with yak butter and milk, which has a salty taste.
In the cities there are restaurants with Indian, Chinese and Nepalese cuisine.
