Muya Gongga

Author: Gong Boxun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-08-01
Features: For centuries, the mysterious Kangba has inspired many with its fervent desire. 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, an uncharted virgin land. In Tibetan, "Kang" means "borderland," and "Ba" means "people." The Tibetan people 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 a unique natural environment, resulting in different climates and nurturing distinctive natural landscapes. The Kangba region is one of the rare plant kingdoms in the world and also a habitat for many rare animals, making it one of the most typical biodiversity regions in China and 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 been 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 rare ethnic corridors in the world. The Kangba Tibetans have thus become one of the most distinctive ethnic groups, and Kangba culture has 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 made new archaeological discoveries showing 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 findings have confirmed that whether from Ganzi in Sichuan, Karo in Chamdo, or Qiayo in Qinghai, these three places, though far apart, all yielded Neolithic cultural sites that unanimously prove that as early as ancient times, tribal activities existed in the Kangba region. They were likely the indigenous people of the Kangba region, the ancestors of the Kangba Tibetans.
Historical records show that 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 under each other's rule, and the central Chinese's authority 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 lived in a primitive, self-sufficient, and fate-dependent manner. With the rise of the Tubo in Tibet, their cavalry, known as the "horseback nation," crossed thousands of snow-capped mountains and hundreds 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 refused to submit to the Tubo and fled in panic, leaving their ancestral homes along the Jinsha River and Yalong River to seek protection from the central Chinese on the east bank of the Dadu River. The central Chinese settled these refugees in what is now the Lixian area of Aba 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 tribes retreated into the desolate snow-covered 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 have engaged in centuries of fierce struggles for control over the Kangba region. The influence of both sides fluctuated in the region for a long time. With the decline of the Tubo, their influence in the Kangba region faded, while the central Chinese, due to internal turmoil, had little time to pay attention to the Kangba region. The Kangba region thus returned to a state of tribal fragmentation, with tribes not belonging to each other and fighting to conquer other tribes, leading to three centuries of tribal conflicts in the Kangba region.
For generations, the Kangba people have lived in the high-altitude plateau and the cold, mountainous gorges. To survive and thrive in such harsh natural conditions, Tsampa (roasted barley) and butter became their indispensable traditional foods. The long-term consumption of Tsampa and butter depended on salt and tea, which were not produced in the Kangba region. 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 neighbors, leading to the emergence of the historical "Tea Horse Road." This road, starting 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 exchange between the Tibetans and other ethnic groups, as well as their integration. The culture of other ethnic groups was absorbed into 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 exchange.
During the Yuan Dynasty, the central Chinese not only turned the "Tea Horse Road" into a major logistics route connecting the interior and the frontier but also used it as a channel for information flow between the central government and local authorities. With the rise of the Yuan Dynasty, the central Chinese reformed the Kangba tribes, enfeoffing tribal leaders as "tusi" to represent the central government in managing their tribes and paying taxes to the central. This system, known as the "tusi system," was followed until the Qing Dynasty.
For over a century, foreign have 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 control over Tibet, sent Sichuan troops to guard Tibet, opened two Sichuan-Tibetan roads in the Kangba region to supply troops and supplies to Tibet, and explicitly stated that "governing Tibet must first stabilize Kangba." The central government formally appointed a Sichuan-Yunnan border affairs minister to oversee the governance and management of the Kangba region, established a military grain bureau in the Kangba region, replaced the tusi system with the appointment of officials to govern, known as "gaitu yeliu" in history, and revoked the Dalai Lama's authority over Xinlong in the Kangba region. A series of battles were launched in the Sichuan border area to suppress rebellions by tusi leaders, comprehensively promoting the political and economic development of the Tibetan border area in Sichuan, 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, there was a high degree of political, economic, and cultural autonomy to protect the interests of the Tibetans, preserve and develop the unique religious culture of Kangba, and promote comprehensive development in politics, economy, and culture within the region. This not only strengthened the central government's support for the development of Tibetan areas 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, often referred to as "Lamaism," a branch of Mahayana Buddhism. The Tibetan word "lama" means "supreme" or "great teacher," a term of respect for Buddhist monks. Lamaism developed gradually from the combination of the original Tibetan religion and the imported Buddhism from outside, forming a unique religious tradition in Tibet. The ancient indigenous people of the Kangba region, isolated for centuries in antiquity, 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 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 true "k." 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. Bonism sought to find reasons for anything incomprehensible in the three realms, divined auspiciousness and inauspiciousness, prayed for blessings and evil, and revered gods and exorcised demons.
After the 7th century, with the marriage of Princess Chenzun and Princess Wencheng to the Tubo king, the two princesses' devout belief in Buddhism deeply influenced Songtsen Gampo. Songtsen Gampo had the Jokhang Temple and Ramoche Temple built in Lhasa for the 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. Bonism, influenced and transformed by Buddhism, evolved into a unique form of Tibetan Buddhism with Kangba characteristics.
In the mid-9th century, the Tubo experienced internal turmoil. The last Tibetan king, Langdarma, assassinated Trisong Detsen and launched a large-scale suppression of Bonism in Tibet, which led to the collapse of the Tubo 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 Bonist sects, allowing Tibetan Buddhism to continue and flourish in the Kangba region, marking the beginning of the post-Tibetan Buddhist renaissance in Tibet. Tibetan Buddhism spread from the east bank of the Jinsha River to the banks of the Yalong River. Historical records show that in 1132, the Red Sect (Nyingma) built the Gartok Monastery in Ganzi. In 1272, the Nyingma sect built the Jingang Monastery at the foot of the Paoma Mountain in Kangding. During the Yuan Dynasty, due to suppression by the Sakyapa sect, the Nyingma sect did not flourish in the Kangba region. In 1639, Gushi Khan led his troops into the banks of the Yalong River, actively supporting the Gelugpa sect in developing 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 Huer." 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 Buddhist sects than in other places. Over generations, 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 Kangba, making it a paradise for Tibetan Buddhists and a sacred place in their hearts.
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 their deep fascination with Kangba. The earliest foreigners to explore Kangba were likely foreign missionaries. According to the records I have seen, as early as 1892, the Frenchman Joseph Dehergne was appointed as the bishop of the Kangba diocese and came to the Kangba region to oversee church affairs in the Sichuan-Tibetan border area. In 1910, the Roman Catholic Church established the Sikang 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, according to a series of unequal treaties signed with the Qing government, foreign missionaries and explorers took the opportunity to infiltrate the Kangba region, collecting a wealth of little-known information. The most noteworthy of these 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 "The Ancient Kingdom of the Naxi in Southwest China," becoming the first foreigner to systematically and comprehensively introduce Kangba to the world. The British writer James Hilton was so moved by Joseph Rock's reports that he wrote the novel "Lost Horizon" in 1933, which became the world's best-selling novel at the time. American Hollywood directors and producers quickly invested heavily to turn the novel "Lost Horizon" into a film. The film was a huge success worldwide, and its theme song "This Beautiful Shangri-La" became widely sung and remains popular to this day. Kangba has thus attracted the attention of the world, sparking a global craze for finding the "last Shangri-La," and Shangri-La has become a hot topic worldwide.
The first Chinese to explore Kangba in modern times were merchants from Shaanxi and Sichuan, who ventured to Kangba in search of business opportunities. Some who had no means to live in the interior also took risks to "pan for gold" in Kangba. The central Chinese repeatedly sent officials to the Kangba region, among whom some insightful and cultured officials recorded a wealth of little-known customs, traditions, and major events in their official reports, private diaries, and correspondence with the outside world. Many Chinese writers, scholars, and explorers learned about the mysterious nature of Kangba from the writings of foreigners and Chinese officials, and despite the great difficulties, they flocked to explore and uncover its secrets. Since the 1920s and 1930s, numerous newspapers and magazines in China have published reports on Kangba and published books about it, once sparking a "Kangba fever" in the country. However, for reasons everyone knows, 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 Kangba was fully opened to the outside world, finally revealing its mysterious doors to the world, reigniting the "Kangba fever" both domestically and internationally, and making Kangba the focus of the world again.
The Sichuan Kang-Zang Research Center, since its establishment, has been committed 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 showcase all aspects of Kangba to the world, point out the path to Kangba, help people understand and love Kangba, and protect its unique culture and beautiful natural environment.
For many years, Bashu Bookstore has not only been dedicated to the and preservation 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 Chinese traditional culture. This time, the Sichuan Kang-Zang Research Center and Bashu Bookstore have collaborated to organize specialized scholars to research and publish this series of Kangba cultural books. This is both an attempt by research institutions and publishing houses to popularize social sciences and an important step to unveil 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 love this series.