| People of Tibet |
The majority of Tibet's population of 1,890,000
are Tibetans. Tibet is so thinly populated that it averages out
1.6 8 persons per square kilometers. About 90% of the people
live on farming and husbandry. Farmers live in the valleys of
Tsangpo River (Brahmaputra) and its major tributaries Kyichu and
Nuuang-chu. this area produces barely, wheat, peas and
rape-seed, the great northern grassland which occupies a good
half of Tibet is the home of nomads, yaks and sheep. Nomads have
no fixed abodes, and keep roaming along fine pasture together
with all their belongings-tents and Livestock. The remaining
population, approximately 10%, live in towns earning their
living mainly On business and handicraft, and many are factory
workers and government officials.
Ideology of people in this land differs greatly from any other
nationality both at home in china and in the world. Religion
seems almost everything. Many live for the next life, rather
than for the present. They accumulate deeds of virtue and pray
for the final liberation-enlightenment. Lips and hands of the
elders are never at still, either busied in murmuring of the six
syllable mantric prayer OM Ma Ni Pad Me Hum (Hail the Jewel in
the Lotus) or in rotation of hand prayer wheels, or counting of
the prayer beads. Pious pilgrims from every corner of Tibet day
to day gather at jokhang Temple and bharkor Street offering
donations and praying heart and soul for their own Selves, for
their friends, and for their friends' friends.
Frequent visitors to Tibet can make out folks from different
regions judging by costumes and dalects. Floks from agricultural
regions dress in woolen home-woven gowns, and those from the
grassland clad in sheepskin. men folk from chamdo wear huge
tassels of black or red silk which were used in old days to get protection from light, while the Lhasa residents are more stylish
and modern. Dialects in tibetan are in variety, but mainly can be
categorized into four: Lhasa., Tsang (Shigatse and Gyantse),
Chamdo and Amdo. |
