Archive for November 9th, 2006
Buddhist Meditation
Suan Mok, a 120-acre forest temple in Chaiya district, Surat Thani province, some 580 kilometres south of Bangkok, attracts and accepts meditators from all over the world. Meditation opportunities are also found in Bangkok, particularly at Wat Mahathat (facing Sanam Luang), Wat Pak Nam, Wat Chonprathan Rangsit, Wat Phrathammakai and Banglamphu’s Wat Bowon Nivet where English language instruction is available.
Wildlife Sanctuaries / National Parks
Thailand has some so national parks and wildlife sanctuaries covering more than 25,000 square kilometres. Evenly spread throughout the kingdom, such places afford nature lovers opportunities to enjoy Thai flora and fauna in unspoiled surroundings. The most popular in terms of convenient accessibility and immediately visible attractions are as follows: Khao Yai National Park lies some 200 kilometres north-east of Bangkok, covers more than 540,000 acres, has an average elevation of 800 metres and a highest peak of 1,351 metres. The park supports elephants, tigers, bears, giant hornbills and other protected wildlife, countless species of wild flowers, trees and spectacular waterfalls. Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai province covers Thailand’s highest mountain (2,565 metres). Forest above 1,800 metres is covered with lichens and wild orchids while at lower levels several lovely waterfalls share the mountainside with Meo and Karen hilltribe villages. Ko Samet in Rayong province is the focal point of a Marine National Park. The narrow, 6 kilometre long island numbers among Thailand’s most beautiful islands and is fringed by splendid beaches, dazzling coral reefs and limpid waters ideal for snorkelling and scuba-diving. Erawan National Park in Kanchanaburi province is extremely popular. The mountainside forest setting contains the seven-tiered Erawan Waterfall, widely regarded as one of Thailand’s loveliest cascades. Sam Roi Yot National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan province provided major settings for the award-winning movie The Killing Fields. A multi- peaked, thinly forested limestone mass rises majestically from coastal marshes that host numerous waterfowl species. Caves, islands, fine beaches and frequently seen wildlife comprise major attractions. Khu Khut Waterfowl Park in Songkhla province occupies 520 square kilometres of the Great Songkhla Lake and hosts some 140 resident and migratory species. Ao Phang Nga National Park in Phang Nga province featured prominently in the James Bond movie The Man With The Golden Gun. Verdant limestone islands, honeycombed with caves and aquatic grottoes, soar perpendicularly from almost perpetually calm waters. Major attractions include prehistoric rock paintings and a stilted Muslim fishing village. Tarutao Marine National Park in Satun province, 31 kilometres off the southern Thai coast near the Thai-Malaysian Indian Ocean maritime border, is a 51-island cluster covering some 1,400 square kilometres, and offers some of Southeast Asia’s best scuba-diving waters. Ko Samui and Ang Thong Marine National Park, covering an area of over 250 square kilometres, is located in Surat Thani province and composed of various islands noted for silvery sand and colourful coral reefs. Access to the islands can be made either from Ban Don, Surat Thani or Don Sak in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Elephant Training
The recently opened Thai Elephant Conservation Centre, 28 kilometres outside Lampang on the main highway to Chiang Mai, has replaced the former Elephant Training School at Ngao. Logging training sessions for young elephants are held daily at 9.00 AM in an attractive forest setting, and visitors are welcome.
Thai Fruits
Thai fruits – – including mangoes, mangosteens, durians, pineapples, watermelons, papayas, rambutans, longans, lyches, tamarinds, pomegranates, palm fruits, oranges, pomeloes, jackfruits and more than 20 kinds of bananas- - are available all year round. From January to April, grapes, jackfruits, java apples, tangerines, watermelons and pomegranates are in season. Next corne mangoes, lyches, pineapples, durians and mangosteens. From July on, longans will ripen, and also langsats, jujubes, passionfruits, pomeloes, rambutans, sugar apples and again tangerines, grapes, water- melons. bananas, coconuts, guavas and papayas are available throughout the year. Some harvests are celebrated in style, with colourful festivals, sometimes featuring a pageant of local beauties. In early April, the Paet Riu Mango Festival is organized in Chachoengsao. Probably the most popular and typical of Thai fruits, the mango deserves this honour. In May, Songkhla promotes its fruits with a bazaar, fruit carving demonstrations and a Miss Southern Thailand Pageant. In June, Chanthaburi exhibits delicious provincial fruits, including the king of them all, the exquisitely delicious durian. In September, to honour pomeloes, a fruit and floral float procession is held in Nakhon Pathom, near Bangkok.
Traditional Thai Massage
Courses are taught principally in Bangkok’s Wat Pho, “home” of traditional Thai massage. Thai massage is also offered in Wat Mahathat and Wat Parinayok, both in Bangkok.
Art and Crafts
During 1976, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit established the Foundation for the Promotion of Supplementary Occupations and Related Techniques, popularly known as SUPPORT, with the object of giving rural Thais alternative sources of income and also of reviving some of the kingdorn’s traditional crafts. The result has been a variety of beautiful items available in Thailand through a chain of outlets called Chitrlada Shops. Five Chitrlada Shops are located in Bangkok: on the ground floor of the Decorations PaviIion in the Grand Palace: in the Oriental Plaza shopping centre; in the shopping arcade of the Hilton International Bangkok Hotel; in the compound of Wimanmek Mansion; and at Don Muang International Airport. Others can be found at the Rose Garden in Nakhon Pathom province, in South Pattaya, and at the Chiang Mai Airport. Among the SUPPORT products to be found in these shops are handwoven silks from the Northeast, particularly in subtle ikat designs known in Thai as rnat-mi; elegant yan liphao handbags, made from a vine that grows in southern Thailand and often adorned with gold fittings; jewellery in distinctive designs; supple Thai cotton in classic patterns; T-shirts with motifs designed by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn; and numerous moderately-priced souvenirs. All funds raised from the sale of these crafts go to the SUPPORT project.
Orchid Farms
Several establishments in the suburbs of Bangkok, and in Chiang Mai and Chonburi province welcome visitors who may wish to admire, purchase or learn more about these fabled blooms.
Jungle Treks
Most popularly originating from Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, these 2-6 day treks take visitors through forested mountains and high meadows in what are, actually, the lower extremities of Himalayan foothills. Major attractions are remote hilltribe villages. Mountains surrounding Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai host seven major, once-itinerant hill tribes of Tibeto- Burman origin – the Meo, Lisu, Lahu, Yao, Akha, Lawa and Karen. Each have distinctive dialects, costumes and customs.
Festivals and Annual Events
Thais are fun-loving, sentimental people and annual festivals, both commemorative and celebrative, play important roles in Thai life. Many Thai festivals are joyful, colourful events that invite visitors’ participation. Others feature solemn, eminently photogenic ceremonial. Whatever their character, whether dazzling processions, Buddhist devotion, uninhibited merriment or exotic ritual, each affords the visitor pleasant memories and insights into the cultural heritage that makes Thailand Asia’s most exotic country. Most festivals are connected either with Buddhism, the annual rice-farming cycle, or commemorations honouring Thai kings. Some occur on fixed dates. Others, particularly those associated with Buddhism, are determined by the lunar calendar. Many merit national holidays. Chronologically, Thailand’s major festivals, and events, are as follows :
Makha Puja
Full-moon day, February National holiday This commemorates the occasion when 1,250 disciples spontaneously gathered to hear the Buddha preach. Merit-making, such as offering food to monks, and freeing captive birds and fishes, is interspersed with sermons throughout the day. After sunset, Buddhist monks lead the laity in a lovely triple candlelit circumambulation of Buddhist chapels throughout the kingdom. Each person silently carries flowers, glowing incense and lighted candles in homage to the Buddha, his teaching and his disciples.
Flower Festival
Usually early February. At Chiang Mai, 700 kilometres north of Bangkok. This annual event features displays, floral floats, and beauty contests when the province’s temperate and tropical flowers are in full bloom.
Pattaya Festival
Early April. Thailand’s premier beach resort celebrates with beauty parades, floral floats, and special events, Highlights include a spectacular beach-side firework display.
Songkran Festival
April 13 - 15. National holiday, April 12 - 14 Songkran is the traditional Thai New Year and is celebrated with special elan in Chiang Mai where because it occurs during a time of relative leisure, it becomes a 3-5 day carousel of religious merit-making, pilgrimages, beauty parades, dancing and uninhibited, good-natured water throwing.
Songkran Festival, Amphoe Phra Pradaeng
The second week of April. The Mon community of Phra Pradaeng district, Samut Prakan province, just south of Bangkok, celebrates Songkran with similar festivities.
Royal Ploughing Ceremony
Usually early May, at Bangkok’s Sanam Luang. This ceremony marks official commencement of the annual rice-planting cycle. Presided over by His Majesty the King, elaborate Brahman ritual and ceremonial combine to provide predictions concerning the forthcoming rice crop.
Rocket Festival
The second weekend of May, and best seen in Yasothon, north-east Thailand. Prior to the annual monsoons, Northeast villagers construct gigantic rockets to fire into the sky to ‘ensure’ plentiful rain during the forthcoming rice season. The Rocket Festival is traditionally a period for letting off steam before ardous field work begins in earnest, and features beauty parades, folk dances, ribald and high-spirited revelry before the rockets are ceremoniously launched.
Visakha Puja
Full Moon day, May. National holiday. Visakha Puja is the holiest of all Buddhist holy days, and marks the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death. Merit-making and ceremonial are identical to Makha Puja,
Fruits Fairs Countrywide
These annual fairs feature delicious provincial fruits - including rambutan, durian, jackfruits and pomeloes, and feature cultural displays, exhibitions and folk art. Major provinces that celebrate fruits fairs include Rayong, Chanthaburi, Chachoengsao and Hat Yai in Songkhla.
H.M. the Queen’s Birthday
August 12. National holiday Nation-wide celebrations find particular focus in Bangkok where government buildings are decorated and illuminated at night with coloured lights.
Ok Phansa & Thot Kathin
During October. Ok Phansa celebrates the end of the Rains Retreat and introduces the Kathin period when, throughout Thailand, the Buddhist laity present monks with new robes and other items deemed necessary for the monkhood’s upkeep during the forthcoming monastic year.
Vegetarian Festival
During October. Phuket islanders of Chinese ancestry commit themselves to a vegetarian diet for nine days. The festival’s first day features a parade of white-clothed devotees and several ascetic displays.
Boat Races
October. The Kathin period marks the official end of the Rains Season and is the time for country fairs, many of which feature regattas. Nan, 790 kilometres north of Bangkok, has famous boat races, Other noteworthy regattas are held in Surat Thani, Phichit, Nakhon Phanom and Pathurnthani.
Loi Krathong
Full-moon night of November. This is Thailand’s loveliest festival when under the full moon, Thais float away onto rivers and waterways, Krathongs, small lotus-shaped banana- leaf boats containing a lighted candle, glowing incense, a flower and small coin to honour, it is believed, the water spirits, and to wash away the previous year’s sins.
Elephant Round-Up
Third weekend of November, Surin, north-east Thailand. Some 100 elephants participate in this popular event. Between folk dances and traditional cultural performances, these versatile behemoths star in displays of time-honoured wild elephant hunts, demonstrations of intelligence, strength, gentility and obedience, and the spectacular re-enactment of a medieval war elephant parade.
River Kwai Bridge Week
Late November, early December, Kanchanaburi, western Thailand. Features a thrilling son et lumiere show at the world-famous bridge. Archaeological and historical exhibitions, sparkling folk culture performances and rides on trains hauled by World War II vintage steam locomotives number among other attractions.
H.M. the King’s Birthday
December 5. National holiday. On December 3, the elite Royal Guards swear anew their allegiance to His Majesty King Bhumibol in a colourful and stirring ceremony in Bangkok’s Royal Plaza. On December 5, festivities occur throughout Thailand. Customarily, government buildings and houses are decorated with spectacular illuminations at night. Night-time Bangkok, particularly in the Ratchadamnoen Avenue and Grand Palace area, becomes a floodlit fairyland of coloured lights.
source : www.asia-planet.net
November 9th, 2006
Location
Thailand is a Southeast Asian, predominantly Buddhist kingdom almost equidistant between India and China. For centuries known by outsiders as Siam, Thailand has been something of a Southeast Asian migratory, cultural and religious cross-roads. With an area of some 510,000 square kilometres and a population of some 57 million, Thailand is approximately the same size as France.
Thailand shares borders with Myanmar to the west and north, Laos to the north-east, Kampuchea to the west, and Malaysia to the south. Geographically speaking, Thailand is divided into six major regions: the mountainous north where elephants work forests and winter temperatures are sufficiently cool to permit cultivation of temperate fruits such as strawberries and peaches; the sprawling north-east plateau, largely bordered by the Mekong River, where the world’s oldest Bronze Age civilisation flourished some 5,000 years ago; the central plain, one of the world’s most fertile rice and fruit-growing areas; the eastern coastal plain, where fine sandy beaches support the growth of summer resorts; western mountains and valleys, suitable for the development of hydro-electric power: and the peninsular south where arresting scenic beauty complements economically vital tin mining, robber cultivation and fishing.
Climate
Thailand enjoys a tropical climate with 3 distinct seasons – summer from March through May, rainy with plenty of sunshine from June to September and cool from October through February. The average annual temperature is 28°C (83°F), ranging, in Bangkok, for example, from 30°C in April to 25°C in December.
Time
Time in Thailand is 7 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+ 7).
History
Archaeological discoveries around the north- east hamlet of Ban Chiang suggest that the world’s oldest Bronze Age civilisation was flourishing in Thailand some 5,600 years ago. Successive waves of immigrants, including Mons, Khmers and Thais, gradually entered the land mass now known as Thailand, most slowly travelling along fertile river valleys from southern China. By the 11th and 12th centuries, Khmers ruled much of the area from Angkor. By the early 1200s, Thais had established small northern city states in Lanna, Phayao and Sukhothai. In 1238, two Thai chieftains rebelled against Khmer suzerainty and established the first truly independent Thai kingdom in Sukhothai (literally, ‘Dawn of Happiness’). Sukhothai saw the Thais’ gradual expansion throughout the entire Chao Phraya River basin, the establishment of Theravada Buddhism as the paramount Thai religion, the creation of the Thai alphabet and the first expression of nascent Thai art forms, including painting, sculpture, architecture and literature. Sukhothai declined during the 1300s and eventually became a vassal state of Ayutthaya, a dynamic young kingdom further south in the Chao Phraya River valley. Founded in 1350, Ayutthaya remained the Thai capital until 1767 when it was destroyed by Burmese invaders. During Ayutthaya’s 417 years as the capital, under the rule of 33 kings, the Thais brought their distinctive culture to full fruition, totally rid their lands of Khmer presence and fostered contact with Arabian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese and European powers. Ayutthaya’s destruction was as severe a blow to the Thais as the loss of Paris or London would have been to the French or English. However, a Thai revival occurred within a few months and the Burmese were expelled by King Taksin who later made Thon Buri his capital. In 1782, the first king of the present Chakri dynasty, Rama I, established his new capital on the site of a riverside hamlet called Bangkok (Village of Wild Plums). Two Chakri monarchs, Mongkut (Rama IV) who reigned between 1851 and 1868, and his son Chulalongkorn (Rama V, 1868-1910) saved Thailand from western colonisation through adroit diplomacy and selective modernisation. Today, Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. Since 1932, Thai kings including the present monarch, H.M. King Bhumipol Adulyadej have exercised their legislative powers through a national assembly, their executive powers through a cabinet headed by a prime minister, and their judicial powers through the law courts.
People
Throughout her long history, Thailand has gently absorbed immigrants. Many were skilled as writers, painters, sculptors, dancers, musicians and architects, and helped enrich indigenous culture. People inhabiting Thailand today share rich ethnic diversity mainly Thai, Mon, Khmer, Laotian, Chinese, Malay, Persian and Indian stock with the result that there is no typically Thai physiognomy or physique. There are petite Thais, statuesque Thais, round faced Thais, dark-skinned Thais and light-skinned Thais. Some 80% of all Thais are connected in some way with agriculture which, in varying degrees, influences and is influenced by the religious ceremonies and festivals that help make Thailand such a distinctive country.
Religion
Theravada Buddhism is the professed religion of more than 90% of all Thais, and casts strong influences on daily life. Buddhism first appeared in Thailand during the 3rd Century B.C. at Nakhon Pathom, site of the world’s tallest Buddhist monument, after the Indian Buddhist Emperor Asoka (267-227 B.C.) despatched missionaries to Southeast Asia to propagate the newly established faith. Besides moulding morality, providing social cohesion and offering spiritual succour, Buddhism provided incomparable artistic impetus. In common with medieval European cathedrals, Thailand’s innumerable multiroofed temples inspired major artistic creation. Another reason for Buddhism’s strength is that there are few Thai Buddhist families in which at least one male member has not studied the Buddha’s teachings in a monastery. It has long been a custom for Buddhist males over twenty, once in their lifetimes, to be ordained for a period ranging from s days to a months. This usually occurs daring the annual Rains Retreat, a a-month period during the Rains Season when all monks forego travel and stay inside their monasteries. Besides sustaining monastic communities, Thai temples have traditionally served other purposes as the village hostelry, village news, employment and information agency, a school, hospital, dispensary and community centre to give them vital roles in Thai society. The Thais have always subscribed to the ideal of religious freedom. Thus sizeable minorities of Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs freely pursue their respective faiths.
Language
Spoken and written Thai remain largely incomprehensible to the casual visitor. However, English is widely understood, particularly in Bangkok where it is almost the major commercial language. English and other European languages are spoken in most hotels, shops and restaurants, in major tourist destinations, and Thai-English road and street signs are found nation-wide.
source : www.asia-planet.net
November 9th, 2006
Overview
Turkmenistan shares borders with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Iran. To the west is the Caspian Sea. Nearly 80 per cent of the country is taken up by the Kara-Kum (Black Sand) Desert, the largest in the CIS.
Turkmenistan’s tourist trade is relatively undeveloped. Almost all the attractions lie around the fringes of the desert and in oases. The capital, Ashgabat, on the southern rim of the Kara-Kum Desert, is a modern city. It replaced the one founded in 1881, which was destroyed in an earthquake in 1948. The Sunday market in Ashgabat is the best place anywhere to buy Turkmen carpets. Mary, due east of Ashgabat, is Turkmenistan’s second city. It lies near the remains of the city of Merv, which was once the second city of Islam until Ghengis Khan’s son Toloi reduced it to rubble, killing many inhabitants in 1221. Plov - pronounced ‘plo’ - is the staple food for everyday and celebrations and consists of chunks of mutton, shredded yellow turnip and rice fried in a large wok. Ashgabat has an opera and ballet theatre, which shows both Russian and European works and a drama theatre.
Area
488,100 sq km (188,456 sq miles).
Population
Population : 4,737,000 (official estimate 2000)., Population Density : 9.7 per sq km.
Capital
Ashgabat. Population: 605,000 (official estimate 1999).
Geography
Turkmenistan shares borders with Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the east, Afghanistan to the southeast and Iran to the south. To the west is the Caspian Sea. Nearly 80 per cent of the country is taken up by the Kara-Kum (Black Sand) Desert, the largest in the CIS. The longest irrigation canal in the world stretches 1100km (687 miles), from the Amu-Darya River in the east, through Ashgabat, before being piped the rest of the way to the Caspian Sea.
Government
Republic. Gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Head of State and Government : President Saparmyrat Nyyazow (Türkmenbashy) since 1992.
Language
Turkmen is the official state language, and is closer to Turkish, Azeri and Crimean Tartar than those of its neighbours Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The Turkmen script was changed from Latin to Cyrillic in 1940, but the process of changing back to the Turkish version of the Latin script is underway.
Religion
Predominantly Sunni Muslim with a small Russian Orthodox minority. Turkmenistan shares the Central Asian Sufi tradition.
Time
Time : GMT + 5.
Electricity : 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round two-pin continental plugs are standard.
Communications
Telephone : Country code: 993. Area code for Ashgabat: 12. Outgoing international code: 810.
Mobile telephone : GSM 900 network covers Ashgabat area. Operated by BCTI.
Fax : Services are available in the main hotels for residents only.
Internet : ISPs include Turkemenistan Online (website : http://www.online.tm).
Telegram : Services are available from post offices in large towns.
Post : Letters to Western Europe and the USA can take between 2 weeks and 2 months. Stamped envelopes can be bought from post offices. Mail addresses should be laid out in the following order: country, postcode, city, street, house number and lastly the person’s name. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1800. The main Post Office in Ashgabat is open until 1900.
Press : The press in Turkmenistan is still censored. The main newspapers in Ashgabat are Turkmenistan and Vatan (both in Turkmen) and Neitralnyi Turkmentistan (Russian).
Radio : BBC World Service (website : http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: http://www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.
source : www.asia-planet.com
November 9th, 2006
Overview
Country Overview : Uzbekistan is bordered by Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The south and east are dominated by the Tien-Shan and Pamir-Alai mountain ranges and the Kyzyl Kum Desert lies to the northeast. The capital, Tashkent, lies in the valley of the River Chirchik.
A massive earthquake in 1966 flattened much of the old city. The new buildings are of little architectural interest. Samarkand, founded over 5000 years ago, flourished until the 16th century. The centre of the historical town is the Registan Square, where three huge Islamic seminaries - including Shir-Dor and Tillya-Kari - built between the 15th and 17th centuries dominate the area. Bukhara lies west of Samarkand and was once a centre of learning renowned throughout the Islamic world. There are more than 350 mosques and 100 religious colleges. The centre of historical Bukhara is the Shakristan, which contains the Ark, or palace complex of the Emirs. Plov is the staple food and consists of chunks of mutton, shredded yellow turnip and rice fried in a large wok. Tashkent has a variety of theatres which show everything from European operas to traditional Uzbek dancing and music.
Area
447,400 sq km (172,740 sq miles).
Population
Pouplation : 25,070,000 (2001)., Population Density : 56 per sq km.
Capital
Tashkent. Population: 2,142,700 (1999).
Geography
Uzbekistan is bordered by Afghanistan to the south, Turkmenistan to the west, Kazakhstan to the north, Kyrgyzstan to the northeast and Tajikistan to the east and has a colourful and varied countryside. The south and east are dominated by the Tien-Shan and Pamir-Alai mountain ranges and the Kyzyl Kum Desert lies to the northeast. The northwestern autonomous region of Karakalpakstan is bordered by the Aral Sea and the sparsely populated Ustyurt Plateau with its vast cotton fields.
Government
Republic. Declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Head of State: President Islam Karimov since 1991. Head of Government: Prime Minister Otkir Sultanov since 1995.
Language
The official language is Uzbek, a Turkic tongue closely related to Kazakh and Kyrgyz. There is a small Russian-speaking minority. Many people involved with tourism speak English. The Government has stated its intention to change the Cyrillic script to the Latin.
Religion
Predominantly Sunni Muslim, with Shia (15 per cent), Russian Orthodox and Jewish minorities.
Time
Time : GMT + 5.
Electricity : 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round two-pin continental plugs are standard.
Communications
Telephone : Country code: 998. Area code for Tashkent: 71. IDD is available, but calls from hotel rooms still need to be booked either from reception or from the floor attendant. International calls can also be made from main post offices (in Tashkent on Prospekt Navoi). Direct-dial calls within the CIS are obtained by dialling 8 and waiting for another dial tone and then dialling the city code. Calls within the city limits are free of charge.
Mobile telephone : GSM 900 network. Operators include Butzel (website : http:/www.buztel.com), Coscom (website : http://www.coscom.uz), Daewoo, Unitel, Uzdunrobita (website : http://www.uzdunrobita.uz) and Uzmacom (website : http://www.uzmacom.uz). Coverage is limited to certain areas around Tashkent.
Fax : Services are available from major hotels for residents only.
Internet : ISPs include Eastlink (website: http://www.eastlink.com). Internet cafes exist in Tashkent.
Telegram : Services are available from post offices in large towns.
Post : Letters to Western Europe and the USA can take between 2 weeks and 2 months. Stamped envelopes can be bought from post offices. Addresses should be laid out in the following order: country, postcode, city, street, house number and lastly the person’s name. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1800. The Main Post Office in Tashkent (see above) is open until 1900. Visitors can also use the post offices situated in the major hotels. There are a number of international courier services based in Tashkent.
Press : There are no independent daily newspapers in Uzbekistan. The main editions are published in Tashkent and include Molodiozh Uzbekistana and Pravda Vostoka (both published in Russian); and Khalk suzi and Narodnoye Slovo (in Russian and Uzbek).
Radio : BBC World Service (website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website : http://www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.
source : www.asia-planet.net
November 9th, 2006
Tibet, a rich and beautiful land, is located at the main part of Qinghai-Tibet plateau, south-West frontier of China. Tibet borders with Sichuan, Yuannan, Qinghai And Xinjiang; to the south contiguous to India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Burma, and bounded by Kashmir on the west.
When the word Tibet is mentioned something icy chils the readers’ nerves. In fact it snows only once or twice in a year and owing to the perpetuity of bright sunshine, it is not at all cold during the daytime even in the coldest of the winter. Tibet is so sunny that it produces a year-round sunshine of over 3,000 hours in a year. Its old name-”land of snow” - the name by which Tibet is almost popilary known as, is always thickly covered with snow with hardly any signs Of inhabitation. In fact, it is correct only when it is referred to the world greatest ranges located in Ima, the Tisi, and like. These ranges, run by leaps and bounds across the country showing their beautiful snow covered peaks against the bluest of skies.
Geographically, Tibet can be divided into three majoy parts, the east, north and south. The eastern part is forest region, occupying approximately one-fourth of the land. Virgin forests run The entire breadth and length of this part of Tibet. The northern part is open grassland, where nomads and yak and sheep dwell here. This part occupies approximately half of Tibet. The southern and central part is agricultural region, occupying about one-fourth of Tibet’s land area. with all major Tibetan cities and towns such as Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse ad Tsetang located in this area, it is considered the cultural center of tibet. The total area of the Tibet Autonomous Region is 1,200,000 square kilometers and its population is 1,890,000. The region is administratively divided into one municipality and six prefectures. The municipality is Lhasa, while the six prefectures are Shigatse, Ngari, Lhaoka, Chamdo, Nakchu and Nyingtri(kongpo). The People’s Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region exercises the hightest adminis-trative authority in Tibet.
Tibet History
Tibetan history can be traced thousands of years back. However, the written history only dates back to the 7th century when Songtsan Gampo, the 33rd Tibetan king, sent his minister Sambhota to India to study Sanskrit who on his return invented the present Tibetan script based on Sanskrit. Tibet’s history can be diveded into four period:
1. The Tsanpo’s Period
This period starts from Nyatri Tsanpo, the first of the Tsanpos, in 127 B.C(historians differ in view of the date, but this date is taken from the White Annales, a reliabl book on Tibetan history) and ends in 842 A.D. at the death of Lang Dharma, the last of the Tsanpos, who was assassinated by a buddhist monk owing to Lang Dharma’s ruthless persecution of Buddhism. During this period some 42 Tsanpos had ruled over Tibet among which Songtsan Gampo’s rule was considered as the zenith. Songtsan Gamoi was an outstandingruler, he unified Tibet, changed his capital to Lhasa, sent Sambhota to India to study Sanskrit and promulaged a script for the Tibetan on the latter’s arrival to tbiet, married Princess Wencheng of the tang Court and Pricess Bhrikuti Debi of Nepal, built the Potala and the temple and the temple of Jokhang.
2. The period of Decentrailzation
This period began in 842 A.D. the year of Lang Dharma’s assassination, and ended in about 1260 A.D, when Pagpa, the Abbot of Sakya monastery, became a vassal of Kublai Khan, the first Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. During this period a little is known in history except that Tibet vecame decentralized into a number of petty principalities.
3. The period of Sakya, Pagdu, and Karmapa’s Rule
This period began with Sakya’s rule over Tibet, followed first by Pagdu’s rule in Lhaoka and then by Karmara’s rule in the Tsang region(Shigatse). The sakya period was the time whten tbiet officially became an inseparable part of China. This period lasted from 1260 A.D to 1642 A.D during which political powers centered in the three regions of Sakya, Pagdu, and tsang successively ruled over Tibet.
4. The period of the gandan Podrang’s Administration
This period is the period in which the Dalai Lama ruled Tibet. It started in 1642 A.D. when the 5th Dalai Lama overtook the ruling power from the Tsang ruler. It basically ended in 1951 when tibet was liberated and came to a complete end in 1959 when rebellion led by the Dalai Lama was pacified and the People’s Government of the Tibet, Autonomous Region was set up.
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.
Climate
Basically, the Tibetan climate is not as harsh as many people imagine it to be. The best time of year to be in Tibet is from April to the beginning of November, after which temperatures start to plummet. The central Tibet, including Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse and Tsedang, generally has very mild weather from April to November, though July and August can be rainy - these two months usually see around half of Tibet’s annual rainfall. October and November often bring some dazzling clear weather and daytime temperatures can be quite comfortable at Tibet’s lower altitude.
The coldest months are from December to February. It is not impossible to visit Tibet in winter. The low altitude valleys of Tibet (around Lhasa, Shigatse and Tsedang) see very little snow. Spring does not really get under way until April, though March can have warm sunny days and is not necessarily a bad month to be in Tibet. More specific information in different areas :
Lhasa - the border of Nepal/China: The Friendship highway is basically in good conditions year around. But from December to February, the thawed road could make some trouble Besides, try to avoid August - landslide could happen in the rainy season.
Mt. Everest Region: Early May and early October are the best time to visit Mt. Everest. Due to the clear weather, you have great chance to see Mt. Everest’s true face. From December to February, it’s too cold to go to this region. But the magnetism of Mt. Everest always attracts people anytime of the year.
Ali (Mt.Kailash): Even without climate restrictions, this area is already inhospitable. Big rain and snow could make the journey worse. However, for those determined tourists, the appropriate time is May, June, July, September and October.
Eastern Tibet: Don’t touch this area in July or August, the rain could ruin the road, and make terrible landslides. While in winter, the road could be frozen.
Northern Tibet: With the average altitude of 4,500m, this area offers very limited time for tourists. Summer is the prime time to enjoy the great plain in northern Tibet.
Tibetan Custom
Presenting Hada
Present hada is a common practice among the Tibetan people to express their best wishes on many occasions, such as wedding ceremonies, festivals, visiting the elders and the betters, and entertaining guests. The white hada, a long narrow scarf made of silk, embodies purity and good fortune.
Proposing a Toast and Tea
Proposing a Toast and Tea When you come to a Tibetan family, the host will propose a toast, usually barley wine. You should sip three times and then drink up. To entertain guests with tea is a daily etiquette. The guest has not to drink until the host presents the tea to you.
Greetings
Greetings Don’t forget to add “la”after saying hello to the Tibetan people to show respect . Make Way to others. Try not to make any sounds while eating and drinking.
Sky Burials
Sky burial is a common form in Tibet. There are many prohibitions. Strangers are not allowed to attend the ceremony. Visitors should respect this custom and keep away from such occasions.
Tibetan Buddhism
Also known as the Lamaism, the Tibetan Buddhism was introduced to Tibet from the mainland and India in the seventh century. The Tibetan Buddhism consists of four major sects, the Ge-lug-pa(Yellow) Sect, the Nying-ma-pa(Red)Sec, the Saturday-kya-pa(Variegated) Sect, and the Ka-gyu-pa(White) Sect.
Pilgrimage
The immediate motivations of pilgrimage are many, but for the ordinary Tibetan it amounts to a means of accumulating merit or good luck. The lay practitioner might go on pilgrimage in the hope of winning a better rebirth, cure an illness, end a spate of bad luck or simply because of a vow to take a pilgrimage if a bodhisattva granted a wish. In Tibet there are countless sacred destinations, ranging from lakes and mountains to monasteries and caves that once served as meditation retreats for important yogin. Specific pilgrimages are often proscribed for specific ills; certain mountains for example expiate certain sins. A circumambulation of Mt. Kailash offers the possibility of liberation within three lifetimes, while a circuit of Lake Manasarovar can result in spontaneous Buddhahood.
Main Folk Festivals
Tibetan New Year (February or March)
It is the greatest festival in Tibet. In ancient times when the peach tree was in blossom, it was considered as the starting of a new year. Since the systematization of the Tibetan calendar in 1027 AD., the first day of the first month became fixed as the new year. On the New Year’s day, families unite ” auspicious dipper” is offered and the auspicious words ” tashi delek” are greeted.
Butter Oil Lantern Festival (February or March)
It’s held on the 15th of the first lunar month. Huge yak-butter sculptures are placed around Lhasa’s Barkhor circuit.
Saga Dawa Festival (May or June)
It is the holiest in Tibet, there memorable occasions coincide on this day, Buddha’s birth and Buddha’s enlightenment. Almost every person within Lhasa join in circumambulations round the city and spend their late afternoon on picnic at ” Dzongyab Lukhang” park at the foot of Potala.
Gyantse Horse Race & Archery (May or June)
Horse race and archert are generally popular in Tibet, andGyantse enjoys prestige of being the earliest in history by starting in 1408. Contests in early times included horse race, archery, and shooting on gallop followed by a few days’ entertainment or picnicing. Presently, ball games, track and field events, folk songs and dances, barter trade are in addition to the above.
Changtang Chachen Horse Race Festival (August)
There are many horse racing festivals in Tibet, the one in Nagqu of Northern Tibet is the greatest. August is the golden season on Northern Tibet’s vast grassland. Herdsmen , on their horsebacks, in colorful dresses, carrying tents and local products, pour into Nagqu. Soon they form a city of tents. Various exciting programs are held, such as horse racing, yak racing, archery, horsemanship and commodity fair.
Shoton Festival (August)
It is one of the major festivals in Tibet, also known as the Tibetan Opera Festival. The founder of the Gelugpa (Yellow Sect of Buddhism), Tsongkhapa set the rule that Buddhists can cultivate themselves only indoor in summer, to avoid killing other creatures carelessly. Because creatures are most active in summer. This rule must be carried out till the seventh lunar month. Then Buddhists go outdoor, accept yoghurt served by local people, and have fun. Since the middle of 17th century, the Fifth Dalai Lama added opera performance to this festival. Famous Tibetan opera troupes perform in Norbulingka (Dalai Lama’s summer palace).
Bathing Festival (Sptember)
It is believed when the sacred planet Venus appears in the sky, the water in the river becomes purest and cures diseases. During its appearance for one week, usually the end of the seventh and beginning of the eighth lunar months, all the people in Tibet go into the river to wash away the grime of the previous year.
Kungbu Traditional Festival (November or December)
Long long ago,when Tibet was in danger of large scale invasion, the Kongpo people sent out an army to defend their homeland.It was in September and the soldiers worried that they might miss the New Year,highland barley wine and other good things.So people had the Tibetan New Year on 1st October ahead of time.To memorize those brave soldiers Kongpo people present three sacrifices an stay up at night from then on. And now it has becoe the Kongpo Festibal for entertainment like Kongpo dancing, horse race, archery and shooting.
Harvest Festival (September)
The farmers in Lhasa, Gyantse and Shangnan to celebrating their bumer harvest in this time. During that time, people enjoy with horse racing games, costum fashion show, songs and dance Archery and picnic etc.
Tibetan Food
Foods in Tibet differ in pastoral areas and agricultural areas. The staple food include roasted highland barley flour, wheat flour, meat, or red food, and milk, or white food. The principle in summer is the white food, while that in winter is the red food. Local flavors in the pastoral areas are mutton sausage, and dried beef.
The flavor of the Tibetan food is fresh, light ,andtender. Salt, onion, and garlic are the main ingredients. There are many restaurants in Lhasa, Shigatse, and Zetang, All restaurants of various classes are decorated and furnished in the traditional Tibetan style. Diners can enjoy delicious Tibetan Tibetan dishes while admiring paintings and murals symbolizing happiness and good luck in the restaurants.High on the menu are such flavors as sausages, barley wine, butter oil tea, beef and mutton eaten with the hands, yak tongue, steamed buns, zanba made from highland barley, pastries, sweet tea, butter tea, dried beef, and xiapuqing, or minced mutton and beef.
Information provided by Tibet Tourism Bureau Shanghai Office.
November 9th, 2006