Back From Tibet -- With 46 Photos

[Bullseye 2620]

No sense in stopping now. I'm sure you have MORE pictures!

Well, just a few. . .

See Tibet today, in your Chevrolet (made at the GM plant in Shanghai). A car in Shu He, rarely seen because of the restrictions on motorized vehicles.

Ancient streets.

Li Ming, a red sandstone butte, about 4 hours by SUV from Shu He. The Chinese have carved about 2,800 steps into the rock so that you can walk easily to the top.

The top of Li Ming butte is covered with these unusual red sandstone formations, to which the local Buddhists refer to a "1,000 turtles praying to the Sun."

One day we climbed to the top of Li Ming and encountered this guy, singing and beaming radiantly.

Yours truly with my Tibetan flute-maker friend (see the gourds in his shop behind us). They really had a hoot when they gave
me the Mao cap thinking I wouldn't wear it, but I made a lot of friends by putting it on, after removing the little red star, of course.


Bullseye

 

[monet61]

Tibet

Thank you very much for the information and photos.
That was very informative and enjoyable.

 

[palmetto99]

Wow. Very cool pics. Always interested when folks visit places other than the typical. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Jungleboy]

Wow! This thread is Awesome, and makes me want to escape to Tibet for awhile. Great Pics.

 

[2fingers]

Very interesting and great pictures! Thank You for sharing.

 

[cudamank]

wow, what a wonderful set of photos and story. Seeing them really makes me feel that there is so much of the world to see, that we don't realize living here in the states.

 

[m657]

very enjoyable....thanks for the tour

 

[pluspea]

Thanks for the beautiful pics, I sent many to family. and many make great desktop backgrounds.

 

[Bullseye 2620]

Things to Do Around Shu He and Lijiang

I've gotten several PMs asking me for recommendations about what to do should you decide to visit this part of China. Here are my top recommendations:

Leaping Tiger Gorge. This is the deepest gorge in the world, about 16,000 feet. It is on the back side of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The gorge has been cut by the river known in the West as the Yangtze, but which is properly called the Changjiang. It is a 4 hour drive by SUV from Shu He through some of the most dramatic landscape I have ever seen. There is an old Chinese expression that describes it: "Territory so rugged that not even a crow can fly over it."

Naxi woman walking the footpath up from Leaping Tiger Gorge.

Old Town Lijiang. Bigger than Shu He, and just 10 minutes away,Old Town Lijiang is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

The roofs and courtyards of Old Town Lijiang.

Three Naxi in a doorway.

Lugu Lake. Sorry, no photos, but you can Google it. Lugu Lake is about 40 kilometers northeast of Shu He and the home of the Mosuo people, a sub clan of the Naxi. This is a matriarchal culture. The women own all the property and make all of the important decisions. They practice what is called the "walking marriage." Husband and wife continue to live with their families of origin, but in the evening, the husband walks over to the wife's home to spend the evening with her. In the event of a divorce, there is no need for a property settlement, because there is no joint property, and custody of any children is not an issue -- they stay with the mother's family. You can go there and spend two nights and two days, and learn a lot about the culture. The road leading there is the worst I have ever been on, but they are building an airport so that tourists can fly in. I strongly recommend this side trip.


Bullseye