“Tibetan Lady” Thomas Parr, Darjeeling 1890s, Albumen print PHOTOGRAPHY AND TIBET by Clare Harris, Reaktion Books (2016) The whole business of “Tibet Photography” might have started out as a commercial …
In Focus On The Roof Of The World
Visionary Historian
CHÖGYAL NAMKHAI NORBU – 1938-2018 Namkhai Norbu during the 1988 Zhang-Zhung Expedition. Namkhai Norbu Rimpoché passed away last month (Sept. 27th). I want to jot down some memories I have of him and discuss his pivotal contribution to our understanding of ancient Tibetan history. I had no spiritual relationship with him, so I will skip …
The dentist and the refugees
by Tashi Tsering Josayma Tashi Tsering, director of Amnye Machen Institute, sent me this piece (and photographs) as a response to my last post on Tsewang Norbu la. I thought Tashi la’s comment so interesting and illuminating about a period in early Tibetan exile-life that I thought it would be a pity to tuck it …
The First “Seed of a Future Tibet”
TSEWANG NORBU “TAK-GO”: IN MEMORIUM (1949-2018) Photo: Tibet Initiative I first met Tsewang Norbu-la at the Frankfurt Book Fair (the world’s largest trade fair for books) in the year 1999 (I think it was) where Tibet Forum had rented a stand to publicize recent publications on Tibet which included Tsering Shakya’s Dragon in the Land …
My Personal Audience with His Holiness
All the delegates at the 5th International Rangzen Conference received a group audience and a photo opportunity with the Dalai Lama on the last day of the conference. It was a large group and I was kneeling close by his feet (he was standing) so most probably he didn’t see me. I understand he later …
Centennial of a Historic Tibetan Victory over a Chinese Invasion Force
Exactly a hundred years ago, to the day – the 29th of April 1918, Tibetan government troops captured Chamdo. After a long and brutal siege the Chinese garrison finally surrendered. Following the liberation of what can be described as the capital of Eastern Tibet, the Tibetan army advanced all along the Kham front eventually freeing over half the territory …
Continue reading “Centennial of a Historic Tibetan Victory over a Chinese Invasion Force”
Tibetan Restaurant Culture: Origins and Evolution
The Russian explorer Nikolay Przhevalsky in 1878 described Lhasa as the “Rome of Asia” We know that since time immemorial, an unending stream of pilgrims, mendicant and merchants flocked to that city particularly during the period of the New Year and the Monlam festival. Early accounts even refer to Armenians, Pebouns (Newari), Casimiris (Muslims), Mongols, Chinese …
Continue reading “Tibetan Restaurant Culture: Origins and Evolution”
History Lessons
REMEMBERING KHEWANG ELLIOT SPERLING It’s a year now since my dear friend passed away. Although I have become, by default, the unofficial obituary writer in the exile Tibetan world, I could not, at the time then, bring myself to perform the necessary honors for my departed friend. In fact I was not able …
The Epic of Tibetan Resistance
HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF TIBET’S ARMED STRUGGLE AGAINST COMMUNIST CHINA’S MILITARY OCCUPATION & TYRANNY L-R: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Mrs Tashi Dolma, unknown, Diki Thondup and Tenzin Sonam. On November 8th last year the Dalai Lama received a presentation set of eight books that constitute as complete a history of Tibet’s heroic resistance to Communist …
The Mystery of the March 10 Photographer
Last year, when putting together the March 10th Memorial website, a major problem I encountered was obtaining photographs and film footages for this critical period in our modern history. Three black-&-white photographs were all there was of the public demonstration on the morning of March 10th. Possibly the most reproduced of these three photos is that of the enormous crowd gathered before …
