The majority of
Tibet's population of 1,890,000 are
Tibetans. Tibet is so thinly
populated that 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 (Brahmaputra)
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 everything. 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 six syllable 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
dress 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. |