Land of a Thousand Castles - Danba

Author: Yang Jiaming, Yang Yi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-08-01
Features: For centuries, the mysterious Kangba has inspired the passionate yearning of many. However, due to its close proximity to Tibet and the constant attempts by external forces to interfere with Tibet, Kangba has become a sensitive part of the motherland, long hidden from the outside world and eventually becoming one of the last mysteries of the world, a virgin land yet to be explored. In Tibetan, "Kang" means "borderland," and "Ba" means "people." The Tibetan people in our country primarily reside in Tibet and the areas bordering Qinghai, Yunnan, and Sichuan. Traditionally, Tibetans regard Lhasa as the center; the surrounding areas of Tibet are called "ü-Tibet," the northern part of Tibet and most of Qinghai are called "Amdo," and the vast Tibetan region including Ganzi and Aba in Sichuan, Tibet's Chamdo region, Qinghai's Yushu region, and Yunnan's Diqing region is called "Kang." The unique geological structure of the Kangba region has formed a special geographical environment, which in turn has created unique natural environments, resulting in different climates and fostering distinctive natural landscapes. The Kangba region is a rare botanical kingdom in the world and also a habitat for many rare animals, making it one of the most typical biodiversity regions in China and even the world. It is known as the "corridor of animals between the north and south" and the "center of species differentiation," as well as the world's largest primitive ecological park. Due to its location between Tibet and the interior, Kangba has long served as a link between the interior and the frontier and a bridge from the frontier to the interior. Various ethnic groups and cultures have long blended in Kangba, making it one of the rarest ethnic corridors in the world. The Kangba Tibetans have thus become one of the most distinctive ethnic groups, and Kangba culture has also become one of the most distinctive cultures in the world.
Where did the Kangba Tibetans come from? Contemporary academia offers various theories. Some say they are descendants of the Western Xia people, others claim they are descendants of the Qiang people, and some believe they are descendants of the Tubo people. In recent years, historians have discovered through new archaeological findings that as early as the Neolithic Age, there was frequent human activity along the Yalong River and Dadu River, which is now the Kangba region. Further archaeological discoveries in recent years have confirmed that whether from Ganzi in Sichuan, Karo in Chamdo, or Kajia in Qinghai, despite the considerable distance between these three places, the Neolithic cultural sites unearthed from these different locations have unanimously proven that as early as ancient times, tribal activities existed in the Kangba region, and they were likely the indigenous people of the Kangba region, the ancestors of the Kangba Tibetans.
According to historical records, as early as the 4th century BC, the Western Qiang living in the Hehan area were forced to flee south due to the encroachment of powerful central Chinese ethnic groups. Some of them migrated to the snow-covered grasslands of the Kangba region and merged with the indigenous tribes that had been living there since the Neolithic Age, forming a new ethnic group known as the "Mao Niu Bu" or "Mao Niu Yi" in historical records. Historians have boldly inferred from archaeological evidence and historical records that the Tibetans living in the Kangba region today are likely descendants of the same branch of the "Mao Niu Bu" or "Mao Niu Yi." The Kangba Tibetans in Ganzi and Aba are descendants of one of the tribes recorded in historical texts as the "Six Mao Niu Bu." Before the Tang Dynasty, the Kangba region was inhabited by various scattered tribes. These tribes were not subordinate to each other, and the rule of the central Chinese dynasty did not extend to the Kangba region. This area remained in a state of tribal fragmentation from ancient times until the Tang Dynasty. The tribes in this region lived a primitive, self-sufficient life, subject to the whims of nature.
With the rise of the Tubo in Tibet, their cavalry, known as the "horseback nation," bravely crossed thousands of snow-capped mountains and flowed through thousands of rivers, carrying scriptures and wielding swords, until they reached the east bank of the Dadu River. The weak tribes living in the Kangba region for generations were unable to resist the Tubo cavalry. Some of them refused to submit to the Tubo and fled in panic from the Jinsha River and the banks of the Yalong River, leaving behind their ancestral homes to seek protection from the central Chinese dynasty on the east bank of the Dadu River. The central Chinese dynasty settled these refugees in what is now the Lixian area of Aba Prefecture in Sichuan. Those Kangba Tibetans who did not want to leave their homes gradually merged with the Tubo people under their long-term rule. The remaining significant portion of the Kangba tribes retreated into the desolate snow-capped mountains, living in an isolated and region, maintaining their ethnic identity and preserving the ancient Kangba culture, which retained its mysterious and ancient charm.
Since the Tang and Song dynasties, the Tubo and the central Chinese dynasty have engaged in fierce struggles for control over the Kangba region for several hundred years, with the influence of both sides fluctuating in the region. With the decline of the Tubo dynasty, the influence of the Tubo gradually faded from the Kangba region, while the central Chinese dynasty, due to internal turmoil, had little time to pay attention to the Kangba region. The Kangba region thus reverted to a state of tribal fragmentation, with tribes not belonging to each other and competing to conquer other tribes, leading to three hundred years of tribal conflicts in the Kangba region.
For generations, the Kangba people have lived on the high-altitude plateau of the snowland, in the cold, high mountain gorges. To survive and thrive in such harsh natural conditions, Tsampa and butter became their indispensable traditional foods. The long-term consumption of Tsampa and butter relied on salt and tea, but the Kangba region did not produce salt or tea. They had to trade horses, animal hides, and medicinal herbs with neighboring ethnic groups for salt and tea. This is the "Tea Horse Fair" recorded in historical texts, an essential exchange between the Kangba region and its neighboring areas, which led to the emergence of the historical "Tea Horse Road." This "Tea Horse Road" started from Chengdu, passed through the Kangba region, and extended to Tibet, and further to Nepal and India. It not only promoted commercial activities between the Kangba region and the outside world but also facilitated cultural exchanges between the Tibetans and other ethnic groups, as well as their integration. The culture of other ethnic groups was absorbed into the Kangba culture, and the veins of the merged ethnic groups flowed with the blood of different ethnic groups. The "Tea Horse Road" became an important corridor for ethnic exchanges.
During the Yuan Dynasty, the central Chinese dynasty not only made the "Tea Horse Road" a major logistics channel between the interior and the frontier but also used it as a communication channel for information flow between the central government and local authorities. With the rise of the Yuan Dynasty, the central Chinese dynasty implemented reforms for the Kangba tribes, enfeoffing tribal leaders as "tusi" to represent the central government in managing their tribes and paying certain taxes to the central government. This system, known as the "tusi system," was followed until the Qing Dynasty.
In the past century or so, foreign have continuously attempted to interfere with Tibet. With the signing of unequal treaties between the Qing government and foreign, imperialism accelerated its infiltration into Tibet. Amid internal and external crises, the Qing government established the "Amban" (Amban) in the court to strengthen its rule over Tibet, sent Sichuan troops to guard Tibet, opened two Sichuan-Tibetan roads in the Kangba region to supply troops and supplies to Tibet, explicitly stated "governing Tibet must first stabilize Kangba," formally appointed a Sichuan-Yunnan frontier affairs minister to oversee the governance and management of the Kangba region, established a military food bureau in the Kangba region, changed the governance of tusi to the appointment of officials, known as "gaitu yeliu" in history, revoked the Dalai Lama's authority over Xinlong in the Kangba region, and launched a series of military campaigns in the Sichuan frontier to suppress rebellions by tusi leaders, comprehensively promoting the political and economic development of the Sichuan Tibetan region, making it the "basis for governing Tibet."
In 1939, the Republic of China established the Xikang Province in the Kangba region. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the central government merged Xikang Province into Sichuan Province and established several Tibetan autonomous prefectures in the Kangba region. Within each autonomous prefecture, a high degree of autonomy was implemented in politics, economy, and culture to protect the interests of the Tibetans and promote the protection and development of the unique religious culture of Kangba, fostering comprehensive political, economic, and cultural development in the region. This not only strengthened the central government's support for the development of Tibetan regions but also ensured the proper protection of the unique religious culture of the Kangba Tibetans, maintaining their distinctiveness.
The history of the Kangba Tibetans is also a history of religious evolution. The Kangba people generally follow Tibetan Buddhism, also known as "Lamaism," a branch of Mahayana Buddhism. In Chinese, the Tibetan word "lama" means "supreme" or "great teacher," a term of respect for lamas. Tibetan Buddhism gradually developed from the combination of the original Tibetan religion and the external introduction of Buddhism, forming a religion with Tibetan characteristics. The ancient indigenous people of the Kangba region, isolated for centuries in the past, could not explain the shapes of mountains and rivers, the changes in the sun, moon, and stars, or natural disasters like floods, droughts, and storms. The harsh climate of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau also frequently brought disasters, and they could not find answers to why these disasters occurred, resorting to the worship of deities to explain these natural phenomena, becoming the so-called "kowa" (knower). Unable to overcome the endless natural disasters, they sought the power of deities to resist the great forces of nature, gradually forming a religion with primitive religious characteristics known as Bon. Bon believed that any unexplained phenomenon could be found in the three realms, used divination to predict fortune and misfortune, and prayed for blessings to eliminate disasters, revering gods and driving away ghosts.
After the 7th century, with the marriage of Princess Chenzun and Princess Wencheng to Tibet, the two princesses' devout belief in Buddhism deeply influenced Songtsen Gampo. Songtsen Gampo had the Jokhang Temple and the Ramoche Temple built in Lhasa for the two princesses and sent noble sons to study scriptures in Tang and India. Buddhism was introduced to Tibet from both east and west, becoming the most influential religion in Tibet. As the power of Buddhism grew, it gradually spread to the Kangba region. Bon was transformed and influenced by Buddhism, forming a Bon-style Tibetan Buddhism with Kangba characteristics.
In the mid-9th century, Tibet experienced internal turmoil. The last Tibetan king, Langdarma, assassinated Trisong Detsen and launched a large-scale suppression of Bon and promotion of Buddhism in Tibet, which led to the complete collapse of the Tubo dynasty and the near-total destruction of Tibetan Buddhism. Those Buddhist monks who suffered persecution in Tibet fled in large numbers to the Kangba region. They merged with the original various sects in the Kangba region, allowing Tibetan Buddhism to continue and flourish in the Kangba region, sparking a post-Tibetan Buddhist renaissance in the Tibetan region. Tibetan Buddhism spread from the east bank of the Jinsha River to the banks of the Yalong River. The earliest historical records of this spread date back to 1132, when the Red School (Nyingma) built the Gartok Monastery in Ganzi. In 1272, the Nyingma sect also built the Jincheng Monastery at the foot of the Pony Race Mountain in Kangding. During the Yuan Dynasty, due to the suppression by the Sakyapa sect, the Nyingma sect did not develop in the Kangba region. In 1639, Gushi Khan led troops into the banks of the Yalong River and actively supported the Gelugpa sect of the Yellow School in its development in Ganzi. The Dalai Lama sent people to Ganzi, establishing 13 temples, including the Dajin Monastery, which later became known as the "13 Monasteries of Huluo." Tibetan Buddhism flourished in Ganzi, making the banks of the Yalong River a paradise for Tibetan Buddhism.
Another feature of Tibetan Buddhism in the Kangba region is the existence of numerous sects, but all coexist peacefully, with far less internal strife among the sects within Tibetan Buddhism than in other places. Over generations, Tibetan Buddhism has taken root firmly in the land of Kangba, becoming the common faith of most Kangba Tibetans and an integral part of their lives. Tibetan Buddhism continues to flourish in the Kangba region, making it a paradise for Tibetan Buddhism and a sacred place in the hearts of Tibetan Buddhists.
Since ancient times, the Kangba region has been regarded by outsiders as a mysterious land. Many Chinese and foreign writers, scholars, tourists, and explorers, despite political prohibitions, the hardships of the climate, and the barriers of customs and language, have repeatedly entered the Kangba region through legal or illegal means, attempting to unveil its mysteries. Many even devoted their lives to Kangba, harboring a deep fascination with it. The earliest foreigners to explore Kangba were likely foreign missionaries. According to the records I have seen, as early as 1892, the Frenchman Nide Long was appointed as the bishop of the Kangba diocese and came to the Kangba region to oversee church affairs in the Sichuan-Yunnan border area. In 1910, the Roman Catholic Church established the Xikang diocese centered in Kangding, overseeing the Kangba region, Sikkim, and the border areas of Yunnan. After the Qing government was defeated by the Eight-Nation Alliance, foreign missionaries and explorers took advantage of the situation to infiltrate the Kangba region, collecting a wealth of little-known information. The most noteworthy among them is Joseph Rock, a reporter for the U.S. National Geographic magazine. In 1922, Joseph Rock was sent by the U.S. Department of Agriculture after a long and arduous journey to Lijiang, China. Later, he was hired as the exploration team leader of the U.S. National Geographic Society and embarked on a 27-year journey in the Kangba region, visiting almost every part of it. He continuously reported shocking news from the Kangba region and published the book "Ancient Kingdom of the Nu in Southwest China," becoming the first foreigner to systematically and comprehensively introduce Kangba to the world. The British writer James Hilton was moved by Joseph Rock's reports and wrote the novel "Lost Horizon" in 1933, which became the world's best-selling novel of that year. American Hollywood producers and directors quickly invested heavily to turn the novel "Lost Horizon" into a film. The film was a huge success upon its release, and its theme song "This Beautiful Shangri-La" became widely sung around the world. Kangba thus attracted the attention of the world, sparking a global craze for finding the "last Shangri-La," and Shangri-La became a hot topic worldwide.
The first Chinese to explore Kangba in modern times were some merchants from Shaanxi and Sichuan, who ventured into Kangba in search of business opportunities. There were also those who had no means to live in the interior and took risks to "pan for gold" in Kangba. The central Chinese dynasty repeatedly sent officials to Kangba, among whom some insightful and cultured officials recorded a wealth of little-known customs, traditions, and major events in their memorial reports to the court, personal notes, and correspondence with outsiders. Many Chinese writers, scholars, and explorers learned about the mystery of Kangba from the writings of foreigners and Chinese officials and, despite the hardships, ventured into Kangba to explore its secrets. Since the 1920s and 1930s, numerous newspapers and magazines in China published reports and books about Kangba, sparking a "Kangba fever" in the country. However, due to reasons well known to all, from the 1950s to the reform and opening-up, not only foreigners with blonde hair and blue eyes but even Chinese scholars, writers, tourists, and explorers had no access to Kangba. It was not until 1998 that the Kangba region was fully opened to the outside world, finally revealing its mysterious doors to the outside world, reigniting the "Kangba fever" both domestically and internationally, making Kangba the focus of the world again.
The Sichuan-Kangba Research Center, from its very inception, has been dedicated to inheriting and researching the achievements of its predecessors. Building on their research, it has coordinated and organized research institutions and scholars both within and outside the province to unveil the mysteries of Kangba from multiple disciplinary perspectives, comprehensively and multi-levelly showcasing all aspects of Kangba to the world, pointing out the path to Kangba, helping people understand and love Kangba, and protecting its unique culture and beautiful natural environment.
For many years, Bashu Bookstore has not only been committed to the of Chinese ancient books but also, in cooperation with research institutions and scholars, has published many influential series, making significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of traditional Chinese culture. This time, the Sichuan-Kangba Research Center and Bashu Bookstore have collaborated to organize specialized scholars to write and publish this series of Kangba cultural books. It is both an attempt by research institutions and publishing houses to popularize social sciences and an important step in unveiling the mysteries of Kangba. As this series has been planned for a long time and has received support from all sides, we believe readers will certainly appreciate this series.