A Tibetan lady standing outside the gate of her apartment block.

The market near Jokang Monastery.

The people...

Tibet itself has a poplulation of over 2 billion people, that is not counting those who live in China, India, and Nepal. There are only two major cities in Tibet - Lhasa (the capital) and Shigatse. They are a people who love colour, particularly bright colour as you can see in their clothing and even in the yarn that they wrap their hair around with. It is a land that hasn't changed much in it's culture and traditions over the years. Records of Tibetan tribes date back to before Christ. A lot of the people are actually either nomadic or semi-nomadic making a pilgrimage now and then to the political and spiritual capital, Lhasa. They are an animistic people whose religion invades every part of their life. Even now, you can go down to the main sqaure in Lhasa and see people doing their painful-looking "prayer" walks for more holiness. Tibet has been invaded a few times in it's history. The latest was by the Communist Chinese government in 1950 who have tightly controlled them and their religion. The Dalai Lhama (the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet-supposed to be the reincarnation of Buddha) escaped to the annoyance of the Chinese government to India after a few years of much violence and oppression. Though they have achieved much freedom, they still have a ways to go.

Two tall Tibetan men with their hair wrapped around their head with yarn.

Two kids play on a doorstep.

Cheerful stall ladies at the market near the Jokang Monastery.

left: 2 ladies doing their meat shopping.

The grandson checking out a stall whilst a stall guy tries to sell an expensive horn.

A grandpa + his grandson.

The Tibetans like to weave stuff in with their hair.

A Tibetan lady sweeping the ground with a straw broom.

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