People
in Tibet
The
majority of tibet's population of 1,890,000 are Tibetans. Tibet is so thinly populated
thaat it averages out 1.6 8 persons per square kilometers. About 90% of the people
live on farming and husbandry. Farmers live in the valleys of Tsangpo River (Brahmapotra)
and its major tributaries Kyichu and Nuuang-chu. this area produces barely, wheat,
peas and rape-seed, the great northern grassland which occupies a good half of
tibet is the home of nomads, yaks and sheep. Nomads have no fixed abodes, and
keep roaming along fine pasture together with all their belongings-tents and Livestock.
The remaining population, approximately 10%, live in towns earning their living
mainly On business and handicraft, and many are factory workers and government
officials. Ideology
of people in this land differs greatly from any other nationality both at home
in china and in the world. Religion seems almost everthing. Many live for the
next life, rather than for the present. They accumulate deeds of virtue and pray
for the final liberation-enlightenment. Lips and hands of the elders are never
at still, either busied in murmuring of the sixsyllable mantric prayer OM Ma Ni
Pad Me Hum (Hail the Jewel in the Lotus) or in rotation of hand prayer wheels,
or counting of the prayer beads. Pious pilgrims from every corner of Tibet day
to day gather at jokhang Temple and bharkor Street offering donations and praying
heart and soul for their own Selves, for their friends, and for their friends'
friends. Frequent
visitors to Tibet can make out folks from different regions judging by costumes
and dalects. Floks from agricultural regions drss in woolen home-woven gowns,
and those from the grassland clad in sheepskin. men folk from chamdo wear huge
tassels of black or red silk which were used in old days for protection in fight,
while the Lhasa residents are more stylish and modrn. Dialects in tibetan are
in variety, but mainly can be categorized into four::lhasa., Tsang (Shigatse and
Gyantse), Chamdo and Amdo. |