This is part two in a series of guest columns from Laura Nash, a Lewis & Clark College sophomore studying in Chengdu, China. She is a graduate of Bonney Lake High School.
Oct. 1 through Oct. 7 in China was National Week, celebrating the day 51 years ago when Mao Zedong declared the People’s Republic of China. Students receive the entire week off, so my class went on a study tour of Tibet. Prior to my trip the only conception I had of Tibet was a group of demonstrators in Pioneer Square in Portland holding signs that read “Free Tibet.” I was ready for anything.
I first noticed that the Tibetan people are visually distinct from Han Chinese. Their skin is darker, facial structure more pronounced, and stature stronger. I found the people to be extremely friendly and hospitable. Tibetans do not shy from touch. An old lady patted me on the butt after I bought a pair of pants from her. The children are also very outgoing. Many of the boys wear trucker hats and break dance on the street corners. They enjoy practicing their English. The shopkeepers know only, “Looky, looky. Cheapy, cheapy. I love you, OK? Tibet.” We seem to be able to understand each other better in Chinese because neither of our first languages is tonal.
Driving into Lhasa from the airport, the scenery was astounding. Prayer flags and white silk scarves littered tall, sand dune-like mounds of mountains. Feathery green and yellow trees stand next to tropical blue rivers and lakes. The sky is deeply, endlessly clear. The traditional buildings remind me of the cubical stucco homes of the American Southwest, but they are made of gray stone and have intricately painted eaves and doorways. Red and gold monasteries perch on cliffs. Men and women prostrate themselves on the ground in front of temples. Old ladies walk around spinning prayer wheels.
Chinese presence in Tibet is painfully obvious. Chinese flags line the main streets. Military men in camouflage with rifles march down the streets. Mostly they look bored and chat amongst themselves. Tibetan people have a curfew of 10 p.m. Some Tibetans get angry when you speak to them in Chinese. However, a young boy in a restaurant proudly proclaimed to my table, “I am Chinese!” The opinion of the Tibet-China issue seems to be generational.
Tibet is not the innocent, traditionally religious place westerners seem to believe in. Religion and tradition are prevalent, but coexist with modernization and materialism. Fast food restaurants and tourism thrive. Monks text when they are supposed to be studying scriptures. They wear Nike shoes and brand name sweatshirts with their robes. In Lhasa, the shopping area centers around a temple. The monks go shopping for new prayer beads when they get bored. Consumerism is alive and well.
After leaving Tibet I had formed an opinion on the Tibet issue. The culture and the people are distinct. If it takes so much effort and resources for China to hold on to Tibet, how is it worth it? China should give Tibet a chance to survive on its own and see what happens—a probationary period, if you will. I think China could manage it without the loss of dignity they seem to be frightened of.
Are you a current or former local student who would like to write a guest column? Contact blnews@courierherald.com.
