Travel to Tibet

 

What is the situation in Tibet?

Tibet was invaded by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in 1950. The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, fled the country in 1959. Since then thousands of Tibetans have followed him. The Tibetan government-in-exile was established in Dharamsala, Northern India.

From the 1950s until the end of the Cultural Revolution approximately 6,000 monasteries, nunneries and temples have been destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of Tibetans have died as a result of the occupation by the Chinese Government. Repression and interference in the cultural and spiritual life of Tibetans continue to this day.

In March 2008 there was a series of overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrations against Chinese rule. The protests were sparked by the increasing cultural and economic marginalisation of Tibetans inside Tibet, especially in the towns, and China’s increasing stranglehold over all forms of Tibetan life, especially religion. The protests were brutally suppressed by the Chinese authorities: according to eyewitness accounts received by Free Tibet, scores of unarmed Tibetan protesters were shot dead by Chinese armed police in Ngaba county on March 16 and in Thongkor township on April 3. More than six thousand Tibetans were detained in the aftermath of the protests and a year later more than 1,200 remain unaccounted for by the Chinese authorities.

On April 8 2009 five Tibetans were sentenced to death by a court in Lhasa for their alleged role in arson attacks in Lhasa on March 14 2008. No independent observers were present at the trial and governments and NGOs have raised serious concerns regarding the lack of due processes in these cases. There are grave concerns that the evidence presented (in at least one case based upon a confession) against the Tibetans is unsound and that their convictions are therefore unsafe. Three of the sentences were commuted to life imprisonment but two of the Tibetans were executed in October 2009.

Severe restrictions on travel to many parts of Tibet for both journalists and tourists remain in place since the 2008 protests and Tibet remains under de facto martial law with an overt military presence on the streets of many Tibetan towns.

The Chinese Government refuses to acknowledge that it was the failure of its own policies in Tibet for many decades that prompted the 2008 protests. Instead, it blames the Dalai Lama for problems in Tibet: in 2006 the Chinese Government spoke of a “fight to the death with the Dalai Clique”; and in 2008 the Chinese authorities repeated their views that the Dalai Lama is the instigator of protest by Tibetans inside Tibet, although they have failed to provide any evidence to support their case.

When the Chinese government refers to Tibet, it is referring to the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Free Tibet’s definition of Tibet includes not only the TAR, but also the former Tibetan provinces of Amdo and Kham which were amalgamated into the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai and Yunnan.

Please treat this page as a general guide to travel in Tibet, and always check thoroughly to see if entry to Tibet is possible at all at the time of travel. Also, be aware that any restrictions in place at the present time may change dramatically and without prior warning, as was the case after the March and April 2008 protests in Tibet and the Beijing Olympics.

 


      These images show the military presence in Tibet in 2009

 

Should I go to Tibet?


Arguments for travelling to Tibet: 

  • The Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in Exile encourage foreigners to witness the oppression in Tibet and to inform others of their experiences on their return.
  • Tourism provides a window to the outside world for Tibetans. 
  • Tibetans find the presence of tourists in Tibet encouraging.
  • Consider going to Tibetan populated areas outside the TAR in Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces, where you can travel without a special permit and the need to hire an official guide.

 

Arguments against travelling to Tibet:

  • Tourism provides legitimacy to the occupying Chinese.
  • Most of the money you spend will go into the pockets of Chinese enterprises. The tourist infrastructure in Tibet is largely controlled by Chinese businesses with headquarters outside Tibet.
  • It is hard to travel in Tibet without tacitly complying with the Chinese regime.
  • Almost always tourists are only allowed to travel to the TAR in an officially organised group, on an officially approved itinerary and guided by an officially approved guide.

There is no simple answer regarding the ethics of travelling to Tibet. Ultimately, it is up to the individual traveller. Up until now, we have felt that the arguments for going outweighed the arguments against. Owing to the current de facto state of martial law in Tibet it may be that the argument is now swinging the other way.  We are not, at this stage, advising travellers to avoid travelling to Tibet.  But if you would rather not travel there, do consider visiting the Tibetan-populated areas of India, such as Dharamsala or Ladakh.

Know before you go

If you do decide to go to Tibet it is most important that you should be as informed as much as possible, so that you can see through the Chinese propaganda that you will inevitably encounter. We would suggest that you should read the following three reports:

1.      Free Tibet media briefing 1 Oct 2009 Pushed to the limits

Tibetans have been disadvantaged in Tibet's increasingly competitive urban job market by failed Chinese policies. These policies have resulted in Tibet being blighted by the highest illiteracy rates anywhere in Chinese ruled areas. As a result of these deeply engrained educational disadvantages, Tibetans are finding it increasingly hard to compete against a rising tide of migrant Chinese workers. Pushed to the margins of Tibet's booming economy, Tibetans have also witnessed the steady erosion of their own language and culture in public life.

http://www.freetibet.org/files/October%201%202009%20media%20briefing%20final.pdf 

2.      No faith in the state report

Commissioned by Free Tibet and produced by Tibet Watch, this report focuses on the lack of religious freedom in Tibet, gathering the testimonies of Tibetans who experienced forceful Chinese attempts to control their religious practices and beliefs first-hand.

Invaluable as a source of eyewitness evidence, 'No faith in the state' provides painstakingly collated materials which present a detailed picture of the state of religion in Tibet under Chinese rule.

 http://www.freetibet.org/files/NoFaithFINAL(1).pdf

3.   Forked Tongue – Tibetan Language under attack

The forced degeneration of the Tibetan language has been an issue for those interested in preserving Tibet's unique culture for some time.

This report investigates how the Tibetan language is becoming marginalised in favour of Chinese dialects, and the consequences for Tibetans who do not learn the language of their occupiers.

Including testimony and examination of this continuing threat to Tibetan culture, this report is a good resource for learning about the state of the Tibetan language in Tibet.

http://www.freetibet.org/files/Forked(3).pdf

 

What else should I know?


The political climate in Tibet is sensitive and the situation (and consequently your plans) could change overnight. The Chinese security network is extensive, with plainclothes police and security cameras everywhere.

What endangers Tibetans?

Do not take pictures of the Dalai Lama into Tibet. Possession of such photographs is an offence under Chinese law, and giving them out could have serious consequences not only for you but, more seriously, for the recipient. Do not hitch-hike as heavy fines may be given to drivers found giving lifts to tourists. Do not actively seek political information from Tibetans. While the absolute worst that will happen to a tourist if found to have engaged in any political activity is likely to be a couple of days of interrogation followed by deportation, any Tibetan found receiving or distributing political material could face a lengthy jail sentence and possibly torture at the hands of the Chinese authorities.

 

 

Should I travel on the Gormo-Lhasa railway?

The Gormo-Lhasa railway opened in June 2006. It is the world’s highest railway and links Tibet to the rest of the Chinese rail network for the first time. It is a political project (as stated by China’s former president Jiang Zemin), constructed by the Chinese government to consolidate China’s presence in Tibet. The railway has already accelerated Han Chinese migration into Tibet. China's official news agency Xinhua has reported that 1.1 million people arrived in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) in the first six months of 2007, an increase of 86% over the same period in 2006 before the railway opened. And in October 2009 Xinhua reported that 4.5 million tourists had traveled to Tibet in the first 9 months of 2009. Such tourism is impacting on the environmental, social and cultural integrity of areas affected by tourism and is putting an intolerable strain on ancient Tibetan buildings such as the Potala Palace, as well as on Tibet’s fragile, high-altitude environment. The Dalai Lama recently noted that the rise in Lhasa's population from 60,000 to 300,000 (of which 200,000 are Han Chinese) represented a form of “demographic aggression” and has described the railway as “some kind of cultural genocide”. It has also enabled increased militarisation of the country and easier exploitation of Tibet’s natural resources. Xinhua has announced that vast deposits of copper, iron, lead and zinc have been found by Chinese government geologists along the route of the railway.

 By using the railway, tourists provide financial and moral support for China’s efforts to increase control over Tibet, thus leading to the irreversible destruction of Tibetan culture, religion and identity. For all these reasons Free Tibet advises people not to travel on the railway.

How can I maximise the benefit of my trip for Tibetans?

Help to keep Tibetan culture alive. It is very important to use, wherever possible, Tibetan resources such as hotels, restaurants, guides and souvenir stalls. Much of the tourist infrastructure in Tibet is controlled by Chinese companies headquartered outside Tibet. By using Chinese tourist companies, hotels and guides it is unlikely that your money will benefit Tibetans, or even stay within the Tibetan economy. When visiting temples, monasteries or shrines you may wish to leave a donation, which will help maintain their upkeep. It is best to leave it on the altar or give it directly to a monk or nun. This will ensure it stays in the temple. You may also wish to give a small donation to pilgrims from rural Tibet.

Free Tibet can recommend one ethical travel agency: The Himalayan Adventure Company. Based in the UK, it offers small group and tailor-made travel in Tibet and other regions of the Himalayas and does not promote the railway
 

 

 

 

How can I help when I get back home?

  • Join Free Tibet’s campaign to end the Chinese occupation of Tibet.
  • See our website for details of campaigns that you might like to get involved in.
  • Consider starting up a Free Tibet local group.
  • Tell your friends about your experiences and encourage them to support Tibet.
  • Think about sponsoring local organisations working in educational, medical or other relief and development areas. In the case of individual sponsoring outside a recognised organisation it is important to make sure there is a clear aim and purpose for the money. 
  • Consider writing an article to send to your local newspaper or a travel magazine.

We would strongly advise you not to take a print of this information into Tibet in case your luggage is searched. The Chinese would probably assume that you were going to engage in subversive activity and would investigate any contacts that you had made with Tibetans, however innocent they have been.

If you run a tour operating company and have any questions about ethical issues surrounding travel to Tibet, please contact us at mail@freetibet.org and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

To learn more about the effect of tourism on Tibet, please click here.

 

 

Alternative travel guide

Read the .pdf version here

As tourism is a lucrative and highly controlled business for the Chinese government it is difficult to travel ethically in Tibet and to get a true picture of what life is like for ordinary Tibetans.

If you are thinking of travelling to Tibet please take the time to read this brief guide, as it includes tips to make sure you do not act in ways that may endanger Tibetan people during your trip.
For more information on the tourist industry and its impact on Tibetan culture please click here.

Re-published 2010