Shangri-la, the Land of the Snows, the Roof of the World, the territory of Tibet is the most fascinating place we can imagine, a place where nature reigns unrivalled.

The mountains and uplands of Tibet constitute the most important plateau in the world, in terms both of height and extent..

Isolated for centuries from the rest of the world in a highly civilised and sophisticated Middle Ages, the mysterious Buddhist kingdom of Tibet, hidden amidst the mountains of the Himalayas, has exerted an extraordinary appeal on the imagination of the West. Up to a very short time ago, very few westerners had had the privilege of setting eyes on the holy city.

In 1950, the newly-established People’s Republic of China decided to revive an ancient, albeit debatable, claim to the plateau situated in a strategic position between China and the Subcontinent. Between 1950 and 1970 the Chinese “liberation” operation effectively deprived the Tibetans of their independence, sent their chief and 100,000 of the country’s dignitaries and prominent figures into exile, caused 1,200,000 deaths and destroyed most of the cultural and historic heritage of Tibet.  

When, towards the mid 1980s the gates were finally thrown open, Tibet was no longer the mysterious and remote kingdom which had enthralled the first Western visitors. The first tourists that the Chinese allowed to visit Tibet found themselves looking at a devastated country. Most of the beautiful monasteries were in ruins, although as a result of the recent relaxation of Chinese ethnic chauvinism, the monks were once again able to wear their traditional robes. Today the Tibetans are reconstructing their world.

However, despite the lacerations, the quintessence of Tibet remains remarkably intact. The temple of Jokhang is still full of pilgrims murmuring mantras in the golden light of thousands of lamps fuelled with yak butter. A walk along the pilgrim circuit of Barkhor in Lhasa is sufficient to illustrate how the abiding Tibetan faith is still vitally alive. Tibet can convincingly boast that it belongs on a higher spiritual plane.

This country is without doubt one of the most extraordinary places in Asia. It offers its visitors spectacular landscapes, fabulous monasteries, splendid views of snow-capped mountains and one of the most likeable peoples that you are ever likely to meet. Its exceptionally rich and fascinating civilisation risks disappearing, but the magic and mystery evoked by these places have not been lost, and can be clearly perceived in the bright mountain mornings, or on the snowy peaks standing out against the clear blue sky.

An intense and rewarding journey in which the cultural richness of the valleys of Lhasa and the Yarlung, which further downstream becomes the Brahmaputra, melds with the eternal beauty of the Namtso or Heavenly Lake, situated on the edge of the arid plateaux of northern Tibet: the Chang Tang one of the most striking landscapes in the entire country. The encounter with the nomad peoples takes place precisely on the banks of this salt lake, where the turquoise waters reflect the chain of Nyangchen Tangla with its peaks of over seven thousand metres. 

Here, in the month of July, you can watch the harvesting of the Cashmere, since on account of the adverse climatic conditions, the Tibetan nomads gather the fibre later than in other Asiatic countries, where the harvesting takes place between April and May.

Unfortunately, trips to Tibet are at present only permitted for those taking part in tours organised by Tour Operators, which are moreover directed exclusively at the culture and the spiritual heritage of Tibet. Beyond the scope of such tours, it is extremely difficult to enter the country; a special visa has to be obtained from the Chinese authorities, and even this does not allow the traveller to depart from the normal tourist itineraries.

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