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Preserving Tibetan culture

Harish Chandola

The Chinese Government is keen on developing the region's culture.

DETERMINED NOT to let Tibet become a museum piece, the Chinese Government has started generating activities to develop its culture. In the middle of October, it held the first three-day forum in Beijing of some 30 experts on Tibet from the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Nepal, European Parliament, Denmark, Belgium, and some other countries to discuss and suggest how to bring Tibetan culture to the fore.

Opening the forum, Liu Yandong, a Minister and vice-chairman of the National Committee of Political Consultative Conference, said culture was the spirit of a nation, forging its vitality, creativity, and cohesion. For centuries the diligent, kind, brave and resilient peoples of all nationalities in Tibet have created a splendid culture, which is a pearl of the treasure house of the nation and a rare blossom in the history of human civilisation. Tibetan culture reflected the unique geographical scenery and social history of the land and carried the fruit of interaction between Tibet and other civilisations.

Other Chinese and Tibetan leaders said the state was dedicated to the preservation of cultural and historical relics in Tibet. By providing huge funds it has helped to restore and reopen over 1,700 temples and monasteries and protect legions of valuable antiques. The state had given nearly 700 million yuan to renovate the Potala Palace, the Norbulingka summer palace, and the Sakya and the Jokhang temples.

China was dedicated to respecting and preserving folk customs and the freedom of religious belief of the Tibetan people who had unique traditions in garments, gastronomy, and housing, and who celebrated both traditional and new festivals.New folklorists and performing artistes were forming teams.

Much of Tibetan culture was oral and efforts were being made to record it.

New museums were being opened to house hundreds of Tanka paintings. Buddhist deities, their ceremonial vessels, newly collected Buddhist manuscripts, including those in Sanskrit and Pali, masks, old costumes, writings on Tibetan medicine, sketches to depict methods of treatment and herbs, minerals and bones used in treatment processes and almost anything of knowledge and value.

Old singers were being invited to sing and retell folklore and record it. Of the 7th century epic of King Gesar, 17 volumes have been compiled and more are on the way. The search is on to collect songs of the old saint-poet, Milarepa, and work is being done to collect the poems of the sixth Dalai Lama.

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