Travelogue of Lhasa and Central Tibet

Author: [Indian] Das / Chen Guansheng / Li Peizhu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Dressed as a traveling monk in saffron robes, murmuring incantations, using prayer beads as a step counter, and concealing intelligence in a prayer wheel—these were the typical images of British-Indian spies who infiltrated Tibet. Although they held special identities and were on top-secret missions, during the author's 14-month journey in Tibet, the observations, experiences, and records obtained through professionally trained eyes and ears presented a rare and invaluable glimpse into the folk customs, aristocratic families, monastic life, and major events of Lhasa and Shigatse in the 1880s. These accounts remain highly significant for reference today. The series of public cases sparked by Das's journey once shook the entire Tibetan region, and its repercussions continued until the British military occupation of Lhasa in 1904. This book is written in a diary format, with detailed daily records, covering aspects such as daily routines, social interactions, and more. As Das's journey primarily focused on the western part of Tibet (Huang Zang), it provides insights into the lives of aristocratic elites and high-ranking monks, religious activities, and folk customs that are often absent in other similar works.