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China Travel Guide » Places in China » Tibet Autonomous Region
Places in China: Tibet Autonomous Region
To go to the top of the world means to visit Tibet Province in China. The altitude on the Tibetan Plateau is 4000 metres above sea level. This is the highest region on the planet. The province's capital of Lhasa is at 3500 metres. The province borders Nepal where Mount Everest is near the borderland between the two. The Himalayas are the mountains in western Tibet.
In the western regions of China, this mountainous province, which is actually an autonomous region, has a lot to offer visitors. It is not much of a farming area due to uneven soil conditions. They do raise some wheat, barley, rape and potatoes. The herdsmen raise cattle, yaks, sheep and goats. Many of the people tend to be subsistence farmers rather than using agriculture for income.
What brings people to Lhasa and other areas of Tibet is often interest in Buddhism and studying the old Buddhist culture. Although Buddhism did not catch on in Tibet until a thousand years after the Buddha's death, it is now strong in the province. The religion and philosophy of the Buddha have been mixed with animism and shamanism so it is not exactly as some other Buddhist centres on Earth.
Many other people visit Tibet to experience the Himalayas and Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth. Even in the summertime, they need to dress warmly and be ready for cold and windy weather. It is best to plan visits between May and September.
Lhasa is a fairly modern Chinese city although much of the old city remains, especially in the Bakhor District of town. Old buildings still exist to remind everyone of the past culture in Lhasa. Some of the Tibetan architecture in Lhasa includes the Potala Palace, Jokhang and Norbulinka Park.
The 13th Dalai Lama fled the country in 1910, followed by his loyal forces in 1959. The 14th Dalai Lama is not expected to ever return to Tibet. He lives in exile and is highly respected as a religious and spiritual leader.
The generation of energy is a strong element in Tibet. They have learned to harness solar, wind and water for power. The Tibet Province produces about thirty percent of the country's energy.
The province is different in ethnic makeup than most other Chinese provinces. The Han Chinese only represent about six percent of the population of 2,740,000 people in the province. Ninety-three percent of the people are Tibetan. Other ethnic groups in Tibet are Hui, Moinba and Lhoba.
The large province, which is sometimes referred to as Zizang, has a population density of 2.2 persons per square kilometre. There are 1,228,500 square kilometres of land area in Tibet.
Major cities in Tibet:
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