Tibet Is As An Area Full Of Mystery And Intrigue.

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TIBET.

April 2026
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HERITAGE

Where are You Going? --- Tibetan Culture From a comparison of three branches. Author: Wen Jie.

Tu Jia Minority. Po Shui Jie.

Andowa Tibetan in Qinghai and Gansu Provinces.

Andowa Tibetans live in the north part, far away from Tibet and Sichuan.
That area has not been developed economically or educationally.
No more than 80% of the Tibetans there even have opportunity to be educated.
There is only one university in the capital city---Xiling, the others are all primary and secondary schools.
In those schools, people study different subjects of the Tibetan version, therefore, people's Tibetan language proficiency are very high.

As for the Tibetan language, it is said that the secondary school students there can match the university teachers here at Southwest University of Nationalities.
Andowa Tibetans cherish their culture and have a strong desire to protect it.
Besides language, dress, marriage, and social customs, they hold a culture which has some differences from Boba Tibetan and Kangba Tibetan.

First, compared to the three Tibetan branches of students at the Southwest University of Nationalities in China.
Andowa students are more independent, persistent, inspired, spiritual, and determined.
Second, many experts relating to art, energy, and medicine have emerged from there.
Third, except for construction, Andowa Tibetans keep their heritages in philosophy, medicine, poetry, word use, speaking rhythm, drama, dance, music and astrology.

Ways of Protecting Culture.

As mentioned above, it is clear that Andowa Tibetans effectively protect their culture.
Staying away from the outside world certainly plays an essential roll in this, but there are other ways that have been adapted to further their cultural protection.

1. Reading Buddhism Book in every family.
2. Art plays an important role in attracting people's attention.
3. School education focuses on Tibetan heritage.
4. Presidents of schools are Buddha.
5. Regular lectures from Buddha in public.
6. Assimilating other ethnic groups, including Han people.

Perspective of the Impact of WTO.

Confronting the impact from the Chinese government's Western Development projects and membership in the WTO.
Andowa Tibetans have a heated argument about which way they should take.
One group insists on closing the door and keeping the outside world away in order to maintain their precious culture heritage.
Another group, on the other hand, encourages people to welcome the world and learn from the western countries in terms of closing the distance between advanced countries.
After three meetings in Xiling, the group which suggests learn from the western countries finally failed.

However, most people believe that learning from others can build a strong Tibet instead of just accepting materials or money from outside sources.
More and more, Tibetans realize the importance of education in strengthening their country.
They bravely leave their area and study outside in order to bring back advanced technologies and funds to make their world stronger.
They think that if they are strong enough, they can also protect their cultural heritage while learning what they need to move forward in this new world order.

Potala Palace.

The enormous palace known as the Potala is the traditional residence of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people.
The 14th and current Dalai Lama, however, has resided in exile in India since the invasion of Tibet by the Chinese in the 1950s.
The palace was begun during the 17th century by the 5th Dalai Lama in the city of Lhasa, Tibets capital.

Po Shui Jie.

Apart from taking spring season tours around Chengdu city in April, what else could you plan in order to enjoy the amazing warmth, breeze, and fresh colours?
The answer is to take the train from Chengdu to Kunmin, if you really want to have a meaningful and unforgettable memory.
This is where you go.
Change to a clean, wide, and comfortable bus to Jinghong, the capital city of Xi Shuang Ban Na municipality.
This is where the border joins Burma and Laos in an area that breeds a brave, industrious, and energetic ethnic group known as the Dai people.

There, you will observe a grand ceremony----Po Shui Jie with many more participants in comparison with other minority festivals held in the Yunnan province. This large-scaled traditional festival originates in India and buzzes right through to China via Burma, and its history in China goes back for 600 years.
Starting from the 13th of April and lasting for 3 to 7 days, the Dai people put their whole hearts into this busy and spectacular celebration.
The day before the celebration begins the local people surge to temples and white pagodas around their villages, in order to clean their spiritual constructions, and pilgrimage their sacred spirits.

Children, on this day, are normally very ablaze with their holy ablution which hopefully brings them future luck, health, and happiness in the coming new year.
This activity, named Gan Dai (worship spirit), certainly lights up the festival flame and arouses people's passion.
As this minority loves water, more activities, during the holidays, are arranged on or near the river. Sai Chuan (boat racing), which is a team game, that includes men and women.
It requires effective cooperation to maintain high speed in the competition.
The candidates and spectators all shout shui., in a local dialect, that means cheering up.
You could probably hear the enthusiastic sound if you were sitting on a flight, which happened to fly over the river at the same time.

Meanwhile on the bank, some of the people pileup the sand into grotesquery shapes for a creative thinking match.
One thing is for certain; you will realise and possibly identify many engineers there, if that is what you want.
Also, Fang Gao Se (bamboo fireworks) will definitely attract your attention by their special style.
The Dai people tie bunches of hollow bamboos facing towards the sky, which contain fireworks and small gifts; they fix them on steady shelves in open areas in order to produce beautiful fireworks that spring out small gifts for the children's pleasure.

Very similar to Han (the Chinese majority's) temple fair, Gan Bai, a local market fair, mainly consists of local shopping products, and performing folk dances, which mimic the movement of elephant's feet using the rhythm of local drums.

Happy crowds also surround Peacock dances and rooster fights.
Meanwhile this holiday becomes a joyous occasion for the younger generations who choose their lovers by throwing and catching a little cloth package that contains cotton's seeds.
However, the most special ploy is the pouring of water for people, which comes from a touching story about 7 pretty girls who took their turn in holding a monster's burning head in order to put out the fire.

On this day, dressed beautifully the Dai people carry clean water, and shout in their favourite Dai dialect Shui, they continue to pour water for the people, and convey their best wishes to each other.

It is said that the more water you get, the more luck you will have.
But most certainly, the delicious local sticky rice bread should never be missed!

To make this dream a reality, read the following words, and make your wonderful plan:
Routs from Chengdu to Xishuangbanna:
Train: K 113 or K 2511, Chengdu-----Kunmin, 120-200 Yuan.
Bus: Air conditioner, Kunmin---Xishuangbanna, 180 Yuan.
Or sleeping bus, Kunming---Xishuangbana, 140 Yuan.
Flight: Chengdu----Xishuangbana(direct), 1230 Yuan.
Chengdu---Kunmin, about 600 Yuan.

Tearful wedding?

Ordinarily weddings have an image of happiness, laughter, best wishes, delicious food, and a new life.
It should be a beautiful memory bank for people who are lucky to find their other half in life, but instead crying for the coming wedding, is a common custom, and is definitely not an ordinary affair for Tu Jia Minority.

Scared by a brand new life style, worrying about sharing the same house with the bridegroom's big family members, missing her own warm and lovely family connection, feeling sad emotion, the bride starts to cry for the forthcoming wedding.
The date that will take her far away from the place where she spent all her previous life, as well as scolding the matchmaker, she must leave half a month or at least three days ahead of the wedding date.
Being influenced by this sad separation, the bride's mother and sisters cry because they are losing their daughter or sister.
There is absolutely no happiness from the bride's family.
You cannot even see a slight smile on their faces.
This is indeed a sad occasion.

On the wedding eve, however, both the bride and bridegroom set ten people (9 unmarried boys in the bridegroom's house, and 9 unmarried girls in the bride's house.
A celebration, sitting around the mat, drinking wine, and singing happy songs, to bless the new couple's happy future.
This small-scaled celebration lasts the whole night and has a literal name as ten brothers or ten sisters.

On the wedding day a singing competition is enacted by two representatives, who are selected by the bride and bridegroom's family, this is an exciting plot.
Before the team from the bridegroom arrives at the bride's house, a table is placed at the front door.
The two representatives then start to compete by singing.
If the bridegroom's representative wins, the bridegrooms team members can move the table away, thus clearing a path to get the bride, otherwise, the bridegroom has to crawl to the bride under the table.

In the bridegroom's house, after the traditional worship to the spirits, and thanks to parents, plus friends, the bridegroom and the bride must race to their bedroom in order for occupying their respective places on the bed.
The left half of the bed is ready for the bridegroom while the right one is for the bride.
The clever bride will normally sit in the middle of the bed, a sign to imply she could be highly respected in the family.
Then, a cross hands wine performance becomes a must to accept the two people as a real family.

Introduction Tibet...

CHINA BIRDS.