Westward Journey to Tibet - A Chronicle by Ma Lihua (Revised Edition 2007)

Author: Ma Lihua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Ma Lihua entered Tibet in 1976 and over the years, she traveled extensively across the region, publishing numerous works including poetry, prose, academic treatises, and long novels. The writing and research for Tibetan North Journey, Westward to Ali, Soul Like the Wind, and Red Mountains of Eastern Tibet spanned over two to three decades, presenting both broad and profound depictions of the natural and cultural landscapes of this representative highland region of the world. The first three works were compiled into Entering Tibet in the 1990s, becoming a bestseller both domestically and internationally. The critics hailed them as "a rare gem in contemporary Chinese literature" and "a bridge between literature and anthropology," earning Ma the title of a writer humanologist. These four long documentary works are also regarded as the cornerstone of Chinese literary anthropology. Westward to Ali portrays the ancient and modern wonders of the mystical Ali: numerous cultural mysteries, the ancient Xiongnu and Guge kingdoms; legendary historical figures, isolated rock paintings and cave murals; sacred mountains and holy lakes of various religions in Central and South Asia; breathtaking landscapes as an edge zone where multiple cultures converge; the fusion of tradition and modernity in a hidden village; the growth of Shiquanhe Town, the capital of Ali; and the majestic Tulin formations, all of which constitute the unparalleled natural and cultural charm of western Tibet.