Notes For Beijing To Lhasa Train Travelers & Tibet Travel Advise

• Entering Tibet
o My travel agency – CITS. My agent – Peggy Yu (yuyh@scits.com). She speaks perfect English.
o It is next to impossible anymore to enter Tibet as an independent traveler. Most travel books will tell you it’s possible through Chengdu, but that has not been my experience. You can join a tour in Chengdu, which does make it possible, but somewhat stressful.
o You must be part of a tour group (large or private) to get Tibet entrance approval, especially if you plan to take the train from Beijing or Shanghai to Lhasa. It costs 50 kuai (about $7) and MUST be arranged by an approved travel agent. I recommend CITS, China’s “official” travel agency. They are also able to book train tickets departing from multiple locations, as you are restricted at the train station to only tickets departing from that location. Rarely can you buy a return ticket. Also, tickets usually only go on sale three to ten days before departure and they sell out fast. CITS is able to buy tickets before this three to ten day window, which is another bonus.
o Basically, contact a travel agent, give them your preferred dates of travel and a photocopy of your passport and visa and let them take care of everything. Trust me, I spent two weeks speaking with about a dozen different people on how I could organize this trip by myself (I am a very independent traveler) and had no luck.


• For The Train Don’t Forget…
o A Towel – They are not supplied to you, though all linens are.
o Tissues – There are very few in the toilet.
• There are three classes of travel – Soft sleeper, Hard sleeper, and Soft Seat.
o Soft Sleeper is four people sharing one cabin, TVs in every bunk, linens provided, power outlets and room-to-room climate control. There are three sinks (with hot water) in every car, as well as two toilets – one squatter and one western. This option costs 1262 kuai, roughly $161 US.
o Hard Sleeper is six people sharing one cabin (stacked three high with no room to sit up on the second and third bunks). Again, linens are provided but no TVs and no room-to-room climate control. The sink and toilet facilities are the same, but no hot water.
o Soft Seat is comparable to economy class seating on an airplane. People are six to a row, three on each side of the aisle. No lines. No TVs. No climate control. No laying down. People standing in the aisle (they purchased a standing ticket). The sink and toilet facilities are the same, but no hot water and they’re shared by three times as many people.
o All sleepers and seats are equipped with oxygen outlets for when the train begins its accent to 15000 feet.


• In Tibet…
o Make sure to stay in “Old Tibet.” Almost everything happens in this very small part of town. It is home to Jokhang Temple & The Barkhor Market, not to mention countless outdoors shops and backpacker restaurants.
• Accommodation Recommendations:
• Going Cheap – Pentoc Guesthouse
• A Real Hotel – ShangBaLa Hotel or the Yak Hotel.
• Internet Is Readily Available. Try The Yak Hotel For Great Conditions and Dirt Cheap Prices (5 Yuan, or about 60 cents US an hour).
• As far as eating is concerned, there are a number of cheap restaurants that serve Tibetan, Chinese, Indian, & Western cuisine all in the same place. If you buy a package deal, do not include lunch and dinner. Save that money and eat on your own. We included our meals and ended up not using half of them because they were all in our hotel. Where’s the fun in that?
• Restaurant Recommendations:
o New Mandala Restaurant – They serve pretty much anything and everything your heart might desire. Try their Chicken Tikka with Butter Naan.
o Dunya – French cuisine (only open in the spring and summer).
o Tashi #1 – The best Yak burger in town.
o Dicos – Tibetan McDonald’s. Don’t eat a meal here, but at least take a peek. Interesting cultural studies piece.
• Why know detailed location info on these places? As I said, the downtown hotspot area (just go to the Barkhor Market and you’re right in the middle of it) is no more than five blocks long and literally one block wide. You’ll see these places, I promise.


• Note For Winter Travelers – Tibet is really geared for April to October travel. A number of sites and restaurants are closed November to March, particularly around Tibetan New Year. There is a benefit, of course. You get to celebrate with the people in the streets. The fireworks and mayhem were easily one of the ten most incredible events I’ve ever experienced, period.

Free Tibet, And Then Some

Only three days here and I’m really starting to see why Richard Gere and Sandra Bernhard are so committed to the Tibet issue (and why Brad Pitt would have spent seven years here). While Lhasa is fascinating and there are no words to describe the country’s (yes, I called it a country) beauty, the more I learn the angrier I seem to become. Actually, I think it’s more disappointment than anything. I came to China and fell in love with the people, the culture and the energy, but what China has done to Tibet is despicable and unforgivable. Every place, sign and street has a story that somehow involves oppression.

It started when we first arrived and I noticed that the store signs were trilingual – Tibetan, Chinese and English. Impressive, yes, but on closer inspection I noticed that the Tibetan (the native language of about 95% of Lhasa’s population) was written in extremely tiny characters along the top of the sign. The Chinese characters were ENORMOUS and the English was slightly smaller than the Chinese. “Oh, it is law that all store signs must have Chinese characters in the center and they must be at least twice as large as the Tibetan,” Diki told me. Super. Then it was the street signs. When China “liberated” (that’s what the Chinese and all their historic records call the fifty-year period when Chinese soldiers entered Tibet and ransacked every Buddhist structure except the Potola Palace. We might call it “conquered” or “brutally destroyed” but hey, “liberated” works too) Tibet in 1959 they renamed every street in Lhasa to something very “revolutionary” like “Beijing Avenue” and “Mao Lane.” The signs have characters and pinyin then in microscopic letters, Tibetan. Of course, most Tibetans can’t read Chinese and continue to refer to the streets by their original name. Awesome, Mao. Awesome.

Then came our tour of the Drepung Monastery. Before the Cultural Revolution it housed 7000 monks and was the largest Buddhist monastery in the world. Now, thanks to government-imposed restrictions, only 500 monks are allowed to live at Drepung. A majority of the complex remains in ruins, with PLA soldiers wandering through to make sure things are “in order.”

We found the same was true at the Sera Monastery, which, at 1300 years old, is the oldest Buddhist monastery in Lhasa. Before the Cultural Revolution it housed 5000 monks. The Chinese government now limits residency to 400. They continue to carry out their daily debates over Buddha’s scriptures, only now PLA soldiers are in attendance. There was one saving grace here, however. High atop the hill sits a Buddhist nunnery, home to 27 nuns. The Chinese army found it too difficult to hike the mountain (so totally Chinese), so they just let it be. Great determination guys!

Of course, the heartache doesn’t stop there. Next we toured the Summer Palace, where the Dali Lama spent the warmer months before being exiled to India in 1959. This sign appeared at the entrance:


Again with the whole liberation thing, as if the Dali Lama was just such an ass and wouldn’t share the park grounds with devout Buddhists. I’m still unsure as to what they mean by “restored.” Apparently that refers to allowing Budweiser to set up an enormous bar just feet from where the Dali Lama – the head of the Buddhist faith and believed to be a reincarnation of God himself – used to lay his head.

Or maybe they’re referring to the zoo, which promised this:


Instead, we got this:


The zoo was six cement cages for the brown bears and deer, a monkey pit full of soda cans and beer bottles (that the monkeys were drinking), a really pissed off lion, and a clinically depressed tiger, not to mention this black bear who was just begging us to let him out:


I must have missed the Ferris wheel and rollercoaster, as well as the happy animals. Nice job “liberating” and “restoring.”

Then today we left the city to visit one of Tibet’s three holy lakes, all at an elevation of over 15000 feet. The drive was spectacular and the views were full of unmatched beauty. The lake itself was sadly covered in snow, masking its green and blue iridescent brilliance but even still, it took my breath away. Once again, the Chinese found a way to taint this. Diki informed us that the Chinese government built a dam in the lake, draining it out day by day. In ten years it may be completely gone. She also told us about her Chinese tourist guests, who insist on washing their feet in the holy water. “I explain it is holy water and that this is not allowed, but they just tell me that it is China and they can do what they want, then they don’t stop.”




This new train route seems to be at the heart of the problem. “It’s cheap for the Chinese and the government gives them money to move here. Since it opened crime in the city has doubled and more and more Chinese tourists have come. I don’t really like it.” This, of course, left me feeling rather guilty, as I supported this new endeavor, though at least my aunt and I are touring responsibly.

On the way back we stopped in a small village, wandered around and shared some western treats with the adorable children. In fact, when we pulled out some Oreo’s they FORMED A LINE to make sure everybody got one. That act alone should be enough evidence to indicate that Tibetans are definitely not Chinese, never have been and never will be. We also learned from Diki that every house must, by law, fly the Chinese flag or risk being fined. The Tibetan flag is banned, as are pictures of the 14th Dali Lama, “but I still have one in secret,” Diki told us. The Chinese government has been gracious enough to build schools, but they require that students learn in Chinese, which nobody can read or speak, making it impossible for many to get an education. It’s like this constant effort to oppress an entire ethnic group. China, if you don’t like them THAT MUCH, then why don’t you just let them go? Instead of trying to rub them out and dampen their spirits (because I can assure you that will never happen) just give them their country and religion and be done with it.





The final straw came upon our return to Lhasa. We stopped once more in front of the Potola Palace so I could get a few more pictures. This time, we were let out on the “Central City Square” side. This square was obviously built by the Chinese and was reinforced with granite slabs so they could roll tanks across it. At the far end stands the “Monument to the Glorious Liberation of the People of Tibet and its Return to The People’s Republic of China.” It sits directly in front of the Potola Palace. “Yeah, nothing is supposed to be built in front of the Palace because it is disrespectful to Buddha and the Dali Lama (by the way, the 14th Dali Lama’s selection to become the 15th Dali Lama miraculously disappeared in 1995, along with his family. Luckily, the Chinese government quickly chose an alternate without consent from number fourteen). I think the Chinese knew this when they build this thing,” Diki told us. I’m sure they knew, and I’m sure they did it on purpose. It’s just appalling what they have done to these people and this land, and the reaction from the international community has been abysmal. Of course, that’s no surprise. The US still has yet to acknowledge Taiwan as an independent nation, despite it being one of the only full-fledged democracies in the region. How could we? We don’t want to anger China and potentially harm Wal-Mart’s third quarter profit margins! After all, it’s just a little island nation and a few oppressed Tibetans in some remote part of the world, right?


Despite everything, their spirit never wanes. Robin and I were lucky enough to be here for Tibetan New Year (which they have only been allowed to celebrate for the past eight years) and let me tell you, you ain’t seen a party til’ you seen a Tibetan New Year Party. It looked and sounded like we were in the middle of a war zone, there were so many fires and explosions. After a skyrocket zoomed between our heads we decided inside might be a little bit safer. I had only one thought on my mind: get somewhere high. Elevator to the top floor (funny story. We’ve been here three days now and had no idea there was an elevator until this afternoon. When we arrived the bellhop carried our bags up the stairs, which made us think there wasn’t an elevator, leaving us huffing and puffing four and five times a day. Oops). Anyway, now we were on the top floor and the view was incredible. Still, all I could think was: get somewhere higher.


I wandered down a side hallway, around a corner, behind the bar and up some secret stairs, eventually ending up in a “VIP Room” (according to the sign on the door) that had a 270-degree view of the city. The show was brilliant. Fireworks in every direction as far as the eye could see. Blues, yellows, greens, reds, oranges and purples filled the night sky for a solid two hours, a perfect representation of the spirit of these people.


Their kindness and commitment is inspiring. Their hope is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Despite all the suffering, oppression and chaso, they remain hopeful for a brighter future. Diki is a perfect example of this. “We have faith that the Dali Lama will return soon and Tibet can be itself once again. He will come. I know he will come.” I certainly hope he does. I can’t even imagine the type of fireworks extravaganza that would follow, but I’d love to be here to see it.

The Modern Monk

Nearly two days into our time here in Tibet and already I’ve been sucked into the country’s (yes, I’m referring to it as a country) charm and graciousness. We arrived at our hotel around 9:30PM only to find that we were literally one of two parties currently staying here! A man offered to carry our bags up the stairs to our third-floor room. Robin agreed but I insisted on lugging my enormous backpack. Bad life choice! Six steps up and I was completely out of breath. My heart was racing and I was literally keeled over, gasping for air. I dumped my pack there and continued (or at least tried to continue) on without it. I had to take two more breaks between the first and third floor. It’s just incredible what this altitude (12000 feet) does to your body. I waited in the room while the man brought our three bags up. Still no sign of Robin. I left her at about stair seven and I’m guessing at she is now passed out somewhere en route. Ten minutes later she trickles in. I am already collapsed on my bed, wondering why I thought this was a good idea in the first place. We rest for an hour before even attempting to unpack and get ready for bed.

Our first full day really set the tone for our entire visit. Because we are so far west and China insists that the entire country be on Beijing time, the sun didn’t rise until nearly 9am. I soon learned that this “Beijing control” thing really dominates life here in Tibet. We started with a delicious hotel breakfast, where we met the other two people staying in the hotel, a German man and Hungarian woman. She was full of life and he was completely taken by her. “We have been 37 years married,” he tells us, grinning ear to ear. It must feel incredible to still have that much love after a third of a century.

Diki, our tour guide, was right on time and we were off to the Potola Palace in our 4x4 all terrain monstrosity. I was assuming it would be a long ride, but about three minutes later we were there. No words or pictures can really describe the emotional impact of this incredible structure. It sits high atop the largest hill in Lhasa valley set against a sprawling, snow-topped mountain range and crystal blue sky (the bluest sky I have ever seen). In a word, it is otherworldy. Heavenly. You can’t help but sing “Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah” in a mysterious voice.

The hike up probably makes my top ten list of the most physically taxing experiences I have ever had. Imagine climbing thirty flights of stairs. Exhausting, right? Now imagine climbing those same thirty flights of stairs with one-sixth the amount of oxygen. Welcome to Lhasa. It tooks us nearly ninety minutes to get to the top. Even our guide was huffing and puffing! “You are doing very good,” she told us. “The westerners are usually ok. They no need oxygen and they no die. But the Chinese, they have real problems, because the air in China is so bad so their lungs are already dead and sometimes they die.” Yikes!

“The Potola Palace is the only place saved during Cultural Revolution,” she tells us. “Oh, please don’t ask me any political questions when we are inside, she asks. “They are listening.” Besides the lack of free speech, there were no pictures allowed inside the Palace. I don’t want to ramble for hours about how incredible it was inside, but I will say that it is not what you’d expect. No large halls. No massive “Palace Spaces.” Instead, over 1000 small temples, monk’s dormitories, and tombs. The 5th to the 13th Dali Lama’s are buried here, and each of their “stupas” is covered in anywhere from 1000 to 7000 pounds of gold! That’s three and a half tons of gold, not to mention the countless diamonds used as “flair.” This was particularly true of the 5th Dali Lama’s stupa (No photos were allowed inside, by the way). I don’t know if you know this, but he’s a pretty big deal. He actually united all of Tibet for the first time in history back in the blah blah blah century (I can’t remember), which meant he got a really, really big stupa.

This whole remembering thing has become a really big problem the past few days. I think Diki is really getting irritated with me because I keep forgetting what all the different Buddhas stand for. There are just so many! You’ve got Past, Present & Future, Longevity, Happiness, Prosperity, Green Ida, White Ida, Men, Women, Harvest, things that begin with the letter L. “If you remember, I told you this morning,” she says. Sorry Diki, I don’t remember. I only have the first nine Dali Lamas and about a dozen Buddhas committed to memory.

It’s now 1PM. Robin and I are about ready to pass out. The Diamox is certainly keeping us from getting altitude sickness. Instead we’re just insatiably drowsy and our fingers, toes (and now ears) are constantly tingling. After a very China moment to get lunch organized (it involved two receptionists, a waitress, the hotel chef and the manager) we ate (all by ourselves) in the hotel restaurant then passed out in our room (after hiking the death-threat stairs again).

The afternoon was spent walking the circuit around Jokhang Temple (thought to be the center of Lhasa, Buddhism and therefore the world) where we witnessed pilgrims by the hundreds prostrating all around the structure. “They will do this from 10am to 8pm for three days,” Diki tells us. Now that’s spiritual commitment, and probably the best way to describe Tibetans. They are a deeply religious, deeply spiritual people and this passion fuels a culture of love, caring and kindness unlike any place I have ever seen. Despite all they’ve been through with oppressive China (I’ll get to that tomorrow, it’s going to take a while) they remain warm-hearted and optimistic thanks in large part to their faith.

Every person we pass smiles at us and waves. Even in Barkhor Market, where we wandered in the late afternoon, it was an entirely different feel than in China. The sellers weren’t pushy, and they were profoundly honest. “That’s not real silver,” one woman told me. “You don’t want that. It won’t last.” Bargaining just felt wrong. They’d give a price, I’d say half, they’d say ok, I’d be confused. One time the woman gave me an even better price than what I had offered. “You have a good aura,” she told me. “Your spirit is kind and giving. Buddha is with you. I must offer something for that.” It was nice to know that my being was strong, but I just felt bad.

More than anything this place feels like it is trapped between yesterday and tomorrow. There are no McDonald’s or Starbucks in Lhasa, which couldn’t make me happier. There are only three phones downtown that can make international calls. A large portion of women and men still wear traditional dress. The tallest building in Old Town has four floors. It’s my hotel. At the same time the downtown disco bumps the latest Britney Spears tracks. Budweiser beer reigns supreme. Coke is everywhere. Internet Cafes are a dime a dozen. Monks wear Nike Shox and have cell phones. It’s selective globalization, but it works. Because of their remote location the Tibetan people have been able to decide what comes in and what doesn’t. Now, however, with the new Tibet railway and China’s new push to “Hanize” (China-ize) Tibet, it looks like even that small freedom may be stripped away.