ASIAN ALPINE E-NEWS
Issue No 89. June 2021

Contents“Tibet Now” Development, Traditions and Mountains―No Longer Frontier―

1Tamotsu Nakamura

Page 2 ~ 45

“Tibet Now” Development, Traditions & Mountains – T. Nakamura
I visited Tibet Autonomous Region in autumn of 2019 after three years. In the previous year
I had travelled through Qinghai Province. The rapid change of Tibetan Marches was far
beyond my imagination. Development of China as “Civil Engineering Work Great Nation”
was widely spreading unlimitedly throughout China.
“Frontier” is already an obsolete word in Tibet. Railway and highway network is expanding.
People are in a hive of activity. Xi Jinping has announced that a total highspeed railway of
50,000km would connect towns and cities all over the Chine in future.

Nyainqentanglha West Mountains

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Two ring roads around Lhasa city are in now in services. New highway to Nagchu is underconstruction in parallel with the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Railway shown below.

Highway (foreground) and Qinghai-Tibet plateau Railway (background)
Magnificent 7,000m snow-covered peaks of West Nyainqentanglha Mountains are seen
within hailing distance. This mountain range spreads southwest to northeast in north of Lhasa,
a provincial capital of the holy city of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).

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Qungmo Kangri 7048m northwest face seen from Xogu La

Nyainqentanglha 7162m highest peak (left end) south face3

Nyainqentanglha 7162m (highest right end) west face

Nyainqentanglha 7162m (right end) north face and Lake Nam Tso in November

4Golden Dragon 6614m, south face (above) southwest face (below)

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Kyizi 6202m east face viewed from Qinghai-Tibet Highway

Samdain Kangsang 6590m east face viewed from Qinghai-Tibet Highway

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A group of blue sheep in Nyainqentanglha WestA blue sheep

7A vultureLhasa Today – Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Shopping Malls

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Jokhang Temple (above), Street in back of Jokhang Temple (below), Lhasa
9j10Lhasa ('Place of Gods') is the urban center of the prefecture-level Lhasa City and theadministrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). The inner urban area of Lhasa
City is equivalent to the administrative borders of Chengguan District, which is part of thewider prefectural Lhasa City.
Lhasa is the second most populous urban area on the Tibetan Plateau after Xining and, at analtitude of 3,656 meters (11,990 ft), Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world. The city
has been the religious and administrative capital of Tibet since the mid-17th century. Itcontains many culturally significant Tibetan Buddhist sites such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang
Temple and Norbulingka Palaces.
Lhasa is now undergoing a drastic transformation. Population has become more than double
from 300,000 to 700,000 and has been changed to a modern city. Symbol, Potala Palace isbeautifully lighted-up, Shopping malls and department stores are the same as those of HongKong. New office buildings and multistorey residential apartments are being constructedsuccessively. Ring road surrounds the Lhasa city. Old towns are changing to modern andactive shopping zones where many Chinese and Tibetan are gathering. Devout Tibetan walkclockwise around the Potala Palace.
Industry of Lhasa is now tourism. 95% of visitors are Han people coming from many provincesof China. Arrival-Departure board of Lhasa Airport indicates China’s major cities.

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My friend, a Tibetan guide

Unless I knew a Tibetan guide, Awang (Kedup Geltsen), my odyssey was not so successful.
Awang is now 43 years old. He was born in a beautiful lake side of Yamdrok Tso where brilliant
Noijingkangsang 7191m below and Kaluxung 6646m (next page) are dominating.

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Kaluxung 6647m (right) and Lake Yamdrok Tso
As his family was poor, after graduating a primary school, he was enrolled to a training schoolof Buddhism and chose his life to serve as a monk. However, when six years passed, he gave
up a course to serve as a monk and entered an English learning night school. Then he becamea tourist guide for foreigners. Now he is an excellent English-speaking guide who studied byhimself. His talent is not only language but also a good sense to gather necessary information.
As he served as a monk, he has school mates in monasteries of many places in Tibet and has
friends of Public Security Bureaus. This helps him to make persistent negotiation with officers.
Unless I met him, my odyssey to the Tibetan borderlands was not successful.

Awang’s shop in Lhasa
14Nakamura, Awang and Awang’s wifeAwang currently reported to me “According to recently reported news, it says the construction
period of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway will exceed 10 years. The Lhasa-Nyingchi section isexpected to open and operate at the end of 2021, so it will be open at the end of this year or
beginning of next year for latest. He took us a formidable skull wall in Damu Monastery(below) in the upper Salween River and sky burial place at Lhorong is shown in the next page.

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Sky burial yard at Lhorong, eastern Tibet

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Vultures coming to sky burial yard
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Tree Burial in Drawalong Valley south of Bomi town

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A starting place of the journey was Nyainchi of Bayizhen, which is the 4th largest city in Tibet
and strategic location of Tibet Military Section of China People’s Liberation Army.

Whole view of developing Bayizhen twon20

Nyainchi Nature Museum
Tight and Strict Watching
In the year of 2008 when the Olympic was held at Beijing, terrible turmoil took place in a large
scale. After the incident, control-restriction by the authorities over foreigners for approaching
to south and southeast Tibet has become tighter and more strict year by year. To obtain
permits from five departments has been compulsory; say, Public Security Bureau, Tibet
Military Section of China People’s Liberation Army, Border Administration Office to checkforeigners, Tourism Department of Tibet Autonomous Region, and authorized travel agency
in Lhasa. Foreigners must carry these permits with them for travelling.
Every check post inspects the permits all the way of moving from place to place. We met only
two Canadians between Rawu and Bayizhen, whilst many Chinese tourists were rushing, butthey moved only along trunk roads and did not enter unfrequented places off-the beaten
tracks. Noisy Chinese tourists come in summer and behave in crowds. Many hotels have been
constructed to accommodate them.
Infrastructure is being improved successively. Construction of highways is being accelerated.
Sichuan-Tibet Highway is paved, and express ways are being constructed. Railway from Lhasa
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to Bayizhen along the Yarlung Tsangpo is supposed to have already been completed. Therailway is planned to be extended to Chengdu in future.

Pillars for railway from Lhasa to Bayizhen under construction (2016) along Yarlung Tsanpo
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Dams are being constructed in Yarlung Tsangpo between Lhasa and Bayizhen

To Bomi, Midoi then Rawu
Most perilous part of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway (south route) landslide zone between Bomiand Tamgmai is now by-passed through a new tunnel of 6 km and vehicles may pass safelyand quickly. After the tunnel, passengers soon arrive at old and elegant town, Guxung. South
face of stunning 6,000m peak soars dominantly looking down the highway. The road passes
along the Parlung Tsangpo which flows between Nyainqentanglha East of 750 km and Kangri
Garpo Range of 270 km in length from northwest to southeast.
I came to Bomi at 2,750m after 10 years. The township is modernized here too. Inhabitantsof Bomi area is mainly Khamba but Kongbo tribe live around Gompogyamda. Autumn colorsof the Parlung Tsanpo are beautiful. We entered the Midoi Glacier and then arrived at Rawu
at 3,960m for revisiting the destination of our journey to the Lhagu Glacier of Kangri Garpo
East. The Midoi Glacier is now one of famous touristic spots crowded with noisy Chinese.
Rawu has been reborn to a new town. We rested at an elegant hotel.

25Modern street of Bomi Town

Gutonchalagebo 5511m west face immediate north of Bomi township, Botoi Tsangpo
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Tourism Center for entering Midoi Glacie. Parlung Tsangpo

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Gemsong 6525m north face viewed from Parlung Tsangpo

Gemsong 6525m north face and glacier terminus of Midoi Glacier, Midoi Longba

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Global Warming―Receding of Glacier
I first visited Rawu in 1995. The Lhagu Glacier receded drastically. Retreat of glaciers iseminent throughout in Tibet. According to Mauri Belt, an environment scientist, the Lhagu
Glacier receded by 12 km after 2001. This is witnessed by local Tibetan inhabitants.
Photographs of the Lhagu Glacier in 1999, 2006 and 2019 are shown for comparison.

Lhagu Glacier in 1999
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Lhagu Glacier 1999

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Lhagu Glacier 2006

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Lhagu Glacier 2006

Lhagu Glacier 2006
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Lhagu Glacier middle stream and Pk 6002m 2006

Hamokongga 6260m south face in the eastern bank of Lhagu Glacier 2006

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Lhagu Glacier 2019 (above and below)34

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Ca. 5400m breathtakingly beautiful peak in the middle steam of Lhagu GlacierDejitsengza 5662 east face immediate north of Rawu town
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Labelled Panorama of Kangri Garpo Range

37Renewed Historical Shuguden Gompa near Rawu
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To Dema La, Gateway to Forbidden Zayul(above) Pk 6000m (below) Gheni 61 50m north face seen from a road to Dema La 4900m

39Yuhe Kangri 6327m north face in the back viewed from a road to Dema La pass

Dema La pass 4900m, a gateway to forbidden Zayul

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Yuhe Kangri 6327m east face seen from Guyu village in Zayul River basin

Tiba Kangri 6846m southwest face west of Gyala Peri seen from Sichuan-Tibet Highway

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Map of Easternmost Himalaya – Namcha Barwa and Gyala Peri massifs, photos in next page42

On the Return Way to Lhasa

Gyala Peri 7294m north face viewed from Tangmai, confluence of Yi’ong/Parlung Tsangpo

Namcha Barwa 7782m west face seen from Se-Ti La 4500m on Sichuan-Tibet Highway43Meila Shan~Lhasa, Tibetan Mastiff (above) Group of Yaks (below) in snowing

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