New Light on the Plateau

The average altitude of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in southwestern China is above 4,000 meters, and right next door is the tallest mountain in the world, Mount Qomolangma (also known as Mount Everest in the West).

Humans have been inhabiting the high-altitude place for at least 10,000 years, overcoming all kinds of difficulties in the process.

An ancient legend about the plateau goes that the goddess of the snowy mountain had three sons and named the eldest the Yellow River, the second the Yangtze River, and the youngest the Yarlung Tsangpo River.

The three rivers all originate from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The Yarlung Tsangpo River starts at the northern foot of the Himalayas in the southwestern Tibet Autonomous Region, traverses southern Tibet from west to east, passes Mount Namcha Barwa at the eastern end of the Himalayas, and flows southward before exiting China through Pasighat. The fertile and beautiful land along the Yarlung Tsangpo River is considered the cradle of Tibetan culture.

Residents tend to tolerate a touch of “plateau red” on their cheeks. The plateau has dry air all year round with heavy wind and sand and strong ultraviolet rays, not to mention freezing cold winters. Red cheeks result from the impact of the harsh weather on the skin and symbolize the glowing toughness of plateau people.

Plateau inhabitants are religious and faithful. In the 7th century, Buddhism was introduced into the Tibetan Tubo Kingdom (618-842) from India, Nepal, and other regions of China. Through long-term struggle, exchange, and integration with the indigenous Bon religion, the faith gradually acquired distinctive local characteristics in Tibetan-inhabited areas, and Tibetan Buddhism emerged.

Tibetan people excel at singing and dancing. They developed Tibetan Opera by integrating drama, music, literature, and dance. This art originated from a kind of dance ceremony involving white masks to worship the gods in the 8th century. It is also one of the oldest and most widespread performing arts among Chinese ethnic minorities.

Tibetan crafts are one-of-a-kind. Singular thangka painting art is considered an “encyclopedia of Tibetan culture.” Tibetan carpets are grouped among the “three famous carpets” of the world alongside Persian carpets and oriental art carpets due to unique production methods, color patterns with rich ethnic characteristics, and exquisite craftsmanship and beauty.

Although the plateau’s natural inaccessibility has acted as a barrier impeding communication, Tibetan people living there have maintained contact with other civilizations far and near since ancient times. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Tea-Horse Road, an ancient trade route, gradually formed and became an important artery connecting Tibet to other parts of China and South Asia.

Since ancient times, Tibetan people on the snowy plateau have nurtured a rich and diverse culture.

On May 23, 1951, the Agreement of the Central People’s Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet (the 17-Article Agreement) was signed, officially proclaiming the peaceful liberation of Tibet. Since then, the Tibetan people have enjoyed freedom from imperialist aggression as they have marched towards prosperity and development alongside other ethnic groups in China.

The year 2021 marks the 70th anniversary of Tibet’s peaceful liberation. Over the past 70 years, the Chinese government has attached great importance to the protection and development of traditional Tibetan culture and invested tremendous human, financial, and material resources to preserve it. With the guarantee of effective protection, traditional Tibetan culture can move forward and develop through legislative, economic, and administrative tools.

Tibetan culture is glowing with new vitality in the new era.