September 3, vice chairman of Tibet Autonomous Region Nyima Tsering accepted the interview with David Jones, foreign affairs chief editor of Washington Times.

Nyima Tsering first represented TAR government and 2.8 million residents of all peoples in Tibet to welcome David Jones’ arrival. He briefly introduced the general situation in Tibet. With the kind care of the Party Central Committee, State Council, with the selfless support from the brother provinces and cities around the country, under the the leadership of TAR Party commission and TAR government, with the efforts that all people in Tibet have made together, Tibet social economy has gained spaning development.

The opening of Qinghai-Tibet Railway on July 1, 2006 broke the traffic bottleneck of Tibet’s economic development and ended the the history without rail in Tibet. The operation of Nyingchi Airport and reopening of Yadong Port have added energy to the economic socail development in Tibet. Tibet has achieved GDP 14 billion yuan in the first half year, up by 14.7% to the same term last year, which is a history high in last decade. Tibet is in the best period on development and stability.

The fast development of society and economy has brought the development of health, education, culture and other careers. The health condition in farming and pasturing areas has been greatly improved and free medical system in rural areas has been gradually built up and improved. The entry school percentage of right age children has reached above 90%. The traditional culture of Tibetan people has been well developed and inherited. He hoped David Jones to go to as many places as he could during his stay in Tibet and reported the developing Tibet to American people.

Nyima Tsering also answered Davis’ questions related to protection of Tibetan tradional culture, religion and employment.

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Ethnic dance, photo from Sichuan News

 

 

Tibetan opera, photo from Sichuan News

 

 

Ethnic costume show-Princess Wencheng and Songtsan Gambo, photo from Sichuan News

 

 

“Internet Media trip in Tibet” enjoyed the performance of Nyangri Art Group to find out the protection and development situation of Tibetan culture on August 26.

Tibet has sent 700 troupers from 66 art groups to perform in over 20 countries and regions in last 10 years.

In order to promote local people’s cultural life, aperiodic performances are held in different regions of Tibet, such as Lhasa Shoton Festival, Khampa Art Festival in Qamdo, Everest Art Festival in Xigaze etc.

Xigaze has set up Ljuba Tibetan Opera Protection Leading Team to make protetction plan and has invested over 2 mln yuan (about 250,000 USD) to the protecion of Ljuba Tibetan opera.    

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Non-Chinese passport holders (including those of Taiwan, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and other countries) must have an Alien’s Travel Permit as well as a valid passport and a visa (Travelers from countries having visa exemption agreement with Hong Kong do not need a visa) to visit Tibet. A visa can be obtained from the local Chinese consulate in your country. Since the government encourages group tours to Tibet the permit is issued only to tour groups traveling with a Chinese tour operator. Your travel agency will represent you to facilitate the application process. A permit for Tibet usually costs around 200 Rmb.

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There are two documents required for foreign tourists who want to travel in Tibet. One is the Chinese Visa, which you can apply for in Chinese Embassy in your place. Another is the Alien’s Travel Permit issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau.
Non-Chinese passport holders (including those of Taiwan, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and other countries) must have an Alien’s Travel Permit as well as a valid passport and a visa (Travelers from countries having visa exemption agreement with Hong Kong do not need a visa) to visit Tibet. Visa can be obtained from the local China consulate in your country. Since the government encourages group tours to Tibet the permit is issued only to tour groups traveling with a Chinese tour operator. Your travel agency will represent you to facilitate the application process. A Tibet permit usually costs around 200 Rmb.

Permit for Entrance in Tibet

For the Tibet Tour we’ll obtain a permit. It’ll take us 3 - 7 days. The following details of the travelers are required for the processing of the visa: name, nationality, passport number, sex, date of birth and occupation.

Visa Obtained in Katmandu

Visa for Tibet can be obtained from the Chinese Embassy in Katmandu. Application has got to be made a minimum of 7 days before the commencement of the trip. Visa can be obtained by paying a surcharge up to 3 days before the trip departure date. Original passports are required for application of visa. The following details of the travelers are required to be submitted to the Chinese Embassy for the processing of the visa: name, nationality, passport number, sex, date of birth and profession along with one passport size photograph. Please note that visa for Tibet obtained elsewhere has still got to be endorsed by the Chinese Embassy in Katmandu. Regular visas for China are not valid for travel into Tibet from Nepal.

Surcharge: A surcharge of US $ 40.00 on Tibet visa is applicable for British, Canadian, Belgian, Cameroon, Brazilian, Irish, French and Dutch Nationals.

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As Qinghai-Tibet Railway will be put into trial operation on this
Saturday, net friends show great passion and interest on this sky road. We have
selected some questions raised by netizens as reference.

Q1. Where the train will depart from in Beijing?

A: The train will depart from at the Beijing West Railway Station.

Q2. When the train will leave Beijing and return from Lhasa?

A: As scheduled, the train T27 will leave Beijing at 21:30 and arrive in
Lhasa at 20:58 on the third day after 47 hours and 28 minutes’ running.

The train T28 will start from Lhasa at 8:00 am. and come back to Beijing west
at 8:00 am. on the third day with a 48-hour-trip.

Q3. Where are the tickets issued?

A: Passengers can purchase tickets at the following railway stations, Beijing
West Railway Station, Lanzhou Railway Station, Chengdu Railway Station, Xining
Railway Station and Chongqing Railway Station.

Related Consulting Telphone Number:

Beijing West Railway Station:
86-10-95105105

Shanghai Railway Station:
86-800-820-7890

Chengdu Railway Station: 86-28-83322088 83332499

Lanzhou Railway Station: 86-931-4922222

Chongqing Railway Station: 86-23-63862607

Xining Railway Station: 86-971-8192832

Q4. How much does the ticket cost?

A: The ticket for Qinghai-Tibet Railway has been
confirmed.

From—–To	Distance (km)	Hard Seat Price	Hard Sleeper (Bottom Berth) Price	Soft Sleeper (Bottom Berth) Price
Beijing West-Lhasa	4,064	389 yuan (US$49)	813 yuan (US$102)	1,262 yuan (US$158)
Chengdu-Lhasa	3,360	331 yuan (US$41)	712 yuan (US$89)	1,104 yuan (US$138)
Chongqing-Lhasa	3,654	355 yuan (US$44)	754 yuan (US$94)	1,168 yuan (US$146)
Lanzhou-Lhasa	2,188	242 yuan (US$30)	552 yuan (US$69)	854 yuan (US$107)
Xining-Lhasa	1,972	226 yuan (US$28)	523 yuan(US$65)	810 yuan (US$101)
Shanghai-Lhasa	4,373	406 yuan (US$51)	845 yuan (US$106)	1314 yuan (US$165)
Guangzhou-Lhasa	4,980	451 yuan (US$57)	923 yuan (US$116)	1434 yuan (US$180)

Q5. How many trains will operate in a
day?

A: As planned, there will be both a train running from opposite directions in
the four express train lines including Beijing west-Lhasa line,
Chengdu(Chongqing)-Lhasa express train line, Shanghai(Guangzhou)-Lhasa and
Xining(Lanzhou)-Lhasa express train line.

Q6. Can foreigners take these trains?

A: Yes, of course you can. Qinghai-Tibet Railway train welcomes all the
passengers from home and abroad.

Q7. How long it will take to travel to Lhasa by train?

A: Please refer to the following lines:

***Beijing-Lhasa

Train T27 will start from Beijing West Railway Station at 21:30 and arrive at
Lhasa Railway Station at 20:58 on the third day after 47 hours and 28 minutes’
running.

Train T28 will depart from Lhasa Railway Station at 8:00
am. and arrive in Beijing west at 8:00 am. on the third day with a 48-hour-trip.

***Shanghai-Lhasa

Train T164/5 will start from Shanghai at 16:11 and arrive
in Lhasa at 19:50 on the third day running for 51 hours and 39
minutes after 4,373 kilometers.

Train T166/3 will start from Lhasa at 08:32 and arrive in
Lhasa at 13:45 on the third day running for 53 hours and 13 minutes .

Train leaves Shanghai or Guangzhou alternatively that
means a train leaves either Shanghai or Guangzhou every other day.

***Guangzhou-Lhasa

Train T264/5 will start from Guangzhou at 10:29 and
arrive in Lhasa at 19:50 on the third day running for 57 hours and 21
minutes after 4,980 kilometers.

Train T266/3 will start from Lhasa at 08:32 and arrive
in Guangzhou at 19:37 on the third day running for 59 hours and 5 minutes .

Train leaves Shanghai or Guangzhou alternatively that
means a train leaves either Shanghai or Guangzhou every other day.

***Chengdu-Lhasa

T22/3 train will leave Chengdu at 18:18 and arrive in Lhasa at 18:28 on the
third day with a trip of 2 hours and 10 minutes.

T24/1 train will set out from Lhasa at 9:05 am. and get to Chengdu at 9:55 am
on the third day after 48 hours and 50 minutes.

***Lanzhou-Lhasa

K917 train will leave Lanzhou at 16:45 and arrive in Lhasa at 22:30 on the
second day with a trip of 29 hours and 45 minutes.

K918 train will set out from Lhasa at 9:32 am. and arrive in Lanzhou at 15:45
on the second day after running for 30 hours and 13 minutes.

***Chongqing-Lhasa

Train T222/3 will start from Chongqing at 19:20 and arrive in Lhasa at 18:28
on the third day running for 47 hours and 8 minutes.

Train T224/1 will set out from Lhasa at 9:05 am. and arrive in Chongqing at
9:55 am. with a trip of 48 hours and 50 minutes.

***Xining-Lhasa

K917 train will set out from Xining at 20:07 and arrive in Lhasa at 22:30 on
the second day after running for 26 hours and 23 minutes.

K917 train will start from Lhasa at 9:32 am and arrive in Xining at 12:19 am.
on the second day with a trip of 26 hours and 47 minutes.

Q8. How many people can every train
contain?

A: 14 compartments are set on every train including 2
cushioned berths compartments with 64 persons, 8 semi cushioned berths
compartments with 480 persons and 4 ordinary seats compartments with 392
persons. So the total capacity of the train is 936 persons.

Q9. How many tickets can I buy one time?

A: Every passenger can only purchase at most two berth
tickets or three seat tickets once.

Q10. Visas or travel documents required to travel to Lhasa
and surrounding areas in Tibet?

A: Passengers should fill in a Health Registration Card
when buying railway tickets to enter Tibet and a permit for entering Tibet is
also needed for the foreign tourists. There are two documents required for
foreign tourists who want to travel in Tibet.

***One is the China Visa.

Non-Chinese passport holders (including Taiwan)must have a valid passport and
a visa (Travelers from countries having visa exemption agreement with HK do not
need a visa) to visit Tibet. Visa can be obtained from the local China consulate
in your country. If you are coming to Lhasa from Kathmandu, you’d better get
China visa from Kathmandu because no matter you’ve already got the visa in your
country or not, you must get a visa in Kathmandu, which is regulated in an
official memo between China and Nepal.

***Another is Tibet Permit issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau.

TTB Permit - Tibet Entry Permit
When you fly from any city to Lhasa you will need to show this permit when you
check in at the airport. Furthermore, whenever you buy a flight to Lhasa you
need to show this permit. TTB permits are also needed by groups traveling by
Land Cruiser but this will be arranged by the travel agency organizing the trip.

PSB Permit - Alien’s Travel Permit
If you want to go further to the unopened areas, you need an Alien’s travel
permit issued by PSB of Tibet. It is called Alien’s Travel Permit or PSB permit.

All kinds of people can get Tibet permit through a travel agency except
diplomats, journalists, and government officials who should travel to Tibet
under the arrangement by the Foreign Affairs Office of Tibet Government.

Q11. Where I can obtain the TTB permit ?

A. Here are the contact methods for Branch Offices of
Tibet Tourism Bureau over China, please find the one you are easy to contact for
to apply for Tibet-entrance permission.

***Tibet Tourism Bureau in Lhasa

Tel: 0086-891－6343854 0086-8916349239 (Speaking
both English and Chinese)

***Beijing Branch Office Tel: 0086-10-84477899 Fax:
0086-10-84476503
Mrs. Cao:
Tel: 8610-66569109　8610-84477899 8610-84476703 8610-84476503　
Fax: 8610-66569107 8610-84476503 8610-84477899
Web: www.tibettour.net.cn　
Mail: tibettour2001@vip.sina.com
Address: A28F Oriental Kenzo Plaza, Dongzhimen, Beijing 100027 P.R.C.

***Shanghai Branch Office Tel: 0086-21-62572089 Fax:
0086-21-63231016

***Chengdu Branch Office Tel: 0086-28-85551719 Fax:
0086-28-8555171985551719

***Ge’er Mu Branch Office Tel: 0086-979-8483532 Fax:
0086-979-8483532

***Xi’an Branch Office Tel: 0086-29-87815987 Fax:
0086-29-87815987

***Yunnan Xianggelila Branch Office Tel: 0086-887-8229028
Fax: 0086-887-8227892

***Xining Branch Office Tel: 0086-971-8459840 Fax:
0086-971-8459840

***Zhangmu Branch Office Tel: 0086-892-8743733 Fax:
0086-892-8915377

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Tibetan Jewelry has traditionally been an important part of Tibetan daily dress. It is believed, jewels put people in touch with deities, and protect them from the many hazards of life in their rugged and treacherous land.

Tibetan jewelry is often oversized and heavy, with elaborate surface design and an exuberance of color. The value of jewelry was historically determined by the intensity of color and size of the components, rather than the value in gems or precious metals. Tibetan Jewelry includes Tibetan necklace, Tibetan bracelets, Tibetan pendant & amulet, Tibetan rings & earrings.

 

Tibetans are known for the splendor of their personal adornment, and the glorious beads of the Nomadic people of the region are often referred to as “portable banks”. Tibetan jewelry are usually made of silver, copper and gold, various of precious gemstones, such as turquoise, lapis lazuli, agate, Coral, malachite, Garnet, Beeswax, DZI, Amber, Opal, Colored glaze & Gemstones, amethyst, Crystal, Jade and so on.

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Pure Silver, a precious and malleable metal, is usually alloyed with copper to enhance its durability and prevent damage to the metal. Typically, sterling silver consists of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper. Over time oxidation reactions will occur, especially with sulfur and oxygen, causing silver to become tarnished. Care should be taken to prevent this tarnishing, and many commercial products are available that will easily remove tarnish buildup that silver naturally acquires.

When cared for properly, your fine quality silver will last a lifetime. Simply wearing your jewelry helps prevent, or at least slow, the oxidation process keeping your jewelry looking new. To minimize scratches, silver jewelry can be stored in cloth pouches, small ziplock bags, or in separate compartments in your jewelry box.

If your jewelry appears to have dulled with age, or requires deep cleaning, we highly recommend using a jewelry cleaning cloth, followed by your jewelry polishing cloth. The cleaning cloth can be used on gold, sterling silver, and sterling silver finished with rhodium. Or you may simply wash the silver with warm water and a little mild soap, rinsing and then patting dry with a fine, soft cloth.

Avoid exposing your silver to household chemicals when cleaning with bleach or ammonia, or when swimming in chlorinated water, as these chemicals can damage silver. Your professional jeweler should be able to provide you with silver-cleaning materials as well as directions for their proper use.

Do not use silver dip as this will damage the rhodium finish and is known to remove color and polish from certain gemstones, including turquoise and onyx. Moreover, it will remove the oxidized antique look that is applied to give it the ageless appeal. Simply put, we do not recommend using silver dip on our jewelry.

Never use toothpaste as it is very abrasive! Some have recommended using toothpaste to clean silver jewelry; we do not suggest doing this because toothpaste contains small abrasive granules which can leave scratches on your silver.

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A large number of seal-rings, in a variety of shapes and configurations, can be found among the adornments from the Treasure of Oxus. Such seal-rings are easily classified on the basis of images that appear on the seal, as well as based on their technique of execution (flat, circular, oval or triangular setting). The images on the seal are of two main types: anthropomorphic and zoomorphic. On one of the rings it is even possible to distinguish two human figures (a male and a female). However, on the majority of the seal-rings, images of animals predominate and include bulls, gryphon, deer, lions and panthers. Particularly attractive is a seal-ring with the image of a panther (Zeimal E. 1979 p. 62 #111), executed in lacework cutting, with concave settings, and the positioning of the legs of the animal to straddle the ring.

All of the seal-rings can be subdivided into 4 types based on the execution of the band: ribbed, smooth, covered in spheres, and ridged (see table). Thorough research of the burials allows to conclude that the rings were worn on the left hand, usually on the index or middle finger, and the majority were found in female burials (Litvinsky B. 1973, p. 29). Seal-rings of later periods differ little from those of the ancient period and were worn not only by the members of the nobility but also by ordinary citizens. The large quantity of rings and variety of materials used for their making, suggest that seal-rings were a very popular adornment.

Seal-rings can also be subdivided into the following categories: real seal-rings, seal-rings with a flat setting, seal-rings with concave settings, and seal-rings woven from wires. ¡°Almost all of the figures on the Balalik-tepe wall-paintings wear a decorated seal-ring on little fingers of both hands.

A gold decorated oval band, which was probably incrustated with a gemma-seal, is attached to the top of the ring¡± (Al¡¯baum L., 1960, p. 174). Thus, we see that during the medieval period gold and inlayed seal-rings were worn by nobility. A similar ring-type (with a moving clasp) is known from the finds at Adjina-tepe (Litvinsky B, Zeimal T, 1971 p. 11). Seal-rings from Sogd also depicted images of animals including the ram, Bactrian camel, birds, goats (Raspopova V. 1980, p. 114). The rings are executed using traditional methods, characteristic of this ring type.

A two-line inscription in cursive Sogdian appears on one of the seals, a common decorative element of the medieval period. Some of the Sogdian seal-rings are also adorned with simple ornaments. ¡°The widespread use the seal-rings is probably indicative of flourishing commerce during that period, when all legal agreements (e.g. rent, buy-sell, and marriage contracts) were signed with a seal (Raspopova V. 1960. p116). While the shape of the rings remains relatively constant, the depictions change to portray the historic-cultural and political social processes.

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Earrings are one of the most popular types of ancient Chinese jewelry of all times. The variety of form and design that exist in their representation are sticking. On the relieves from Persepolis, among tributaries, a Bactrian is portrayed with a drop-shaped earring in one ear confirming the assumption that earrings were worn by men (Schmidt. E. Persepolis, Chicago, vol. 1, 1953; vol. 2, 1957, vol. 31969). An analogous type of earrings can be found among articles of the Treasure of Oxus. This type of earrings is wide spread even in our time.

It may be concluded that in contrast to women, men wore only one earring. Supporting evidence for this conclusion can be found in ethnography. The diversity of material used to make earrings suggest that earrings were a popular adornment in all levels of society, therefore archaeologists are able to uncover not only gold and silver earrings, but also bronze, brass, iron and copper.

For example, in Tulkhar burial earrings that resemble a bird in their shape were found alongside an earring with an amphora shaped pendant. The handles of the amphora are shaped as bent stylized dolphins. This once again notes the diversity of images used in adornments, especially earrings. The appearance of amphora and dolphins indicate the presence of Greek influence that spread on to the territory of Central Asia during II BC-I AD. These motifs became widely used in the first centuries AD. In a Ksirov¡¯s burial (II BC), for example we¡¯ll see the cockerel-shaped earrings with moonlike pendants were discovered, the other ones were ¡°pepper¡±-shaped with pendant and gold disk.

Publisher: chinatownconnection.com

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