Photoblog: People of Tibet – Faces of a strong spirit

Have you ever wondered what a proud and strong spirit looks like in the face of adversity? Travel to Tibet through my pictures and stories of these religious, devoted, compassionate, and giving people, and discover more about the people of Tibet.

PEOPLE OF TIBET – AN AMAZING PHOTOJOURNALISM OPPORTUNITY

The best definition I found to describe Tibetans is “people with a strong spirit”.

Throughout my travels, I have met many amazing people and cultures, but I’ve never before seen people that are so quick to smile and laugh like Tibetan people. The people of Tibet are the kindest and most genuine people I’ve met.

Despite the difficulties of living in one of the most repressed and closed societies in the world, I was met with smiles and a sense of welcome. If you have the chance to visit Tibet, you will clearly see signs of occupation on every corner. Yet Tibetans still maintain an easy smile and a peaceful spirit.

I strongly recommend to read next to the Truth Behind the Occupation in Tibet, and the reasons it made me write a compassion letter to Dalai Lama.

Historically, Tibet was an independent country, and legally, it has the right to be free. 

Tibetan are people with a strong spirit Meeting some pilgrims in front of Potala Palace

PILGRIMAGE TO VISIT THE TEMPLES IN LHASA FOR PRAYERS

Pilgrims crowded the square in front of Jokhang Temple  and Potala Palace in Lhasa.

They came from all over Tibet to celebrate the New Year at the sacred sights.

There was a line of people waiting to enter the Jokhang Temple, money and yak butter in hand. People were milling around the square, taking cell phone pictures of their pilgrimage. Others were in a procession navigating around the temple grounds while praying.

Potala Palace was built in 1645 and it is the highest ancient place in the world, with the highest point reaching 12,300 feet (3,750 meters) above sea level, towering 300 feet (100 meters) above the city of Lhasa. Potala Palace is considered one of the wonders of the world.

The Potala Palace has stood for centuries as a testament to the Tibetan people and their beliefs. Thousands of pilgrims from around the world come every year to pay homage to this grand estate and the symbol it stands for.

Read More: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE OCCUPATION IN TIBET

Booking.com People of Tibet in front of Jokhang temple in Lhasa Pilgrim praying in front of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa Man praying in Tibet Man praying in front of Jokhang Temple People of Tibet praying in front a temple Monks in front of the Jokhang Temple People of tibet in front of Potala Palace Family of pilgrims in front of Potala Palace in Lhasa Men in front of Potala Palace in Tibet Booking.com

THE TRADITIONAL STYLE OF PEOPLE OF TIBET

It was obvious from the clothes that there were groups from very different regions. The colors, the hairstyles, the skin tones, the clothes…it was so amazing!

You can also notice that each community has it own traditional clothing for both, men and women and it is easy to distinguish the people from their clothing, which can be made of silk wool, cotton, and sheepskin.

Most Tibetans wear robes. Being a high altitude area, the traditional Tibetan clothes are thick, very warm and loose with a wide waist and long sleeves and shirts.

You can notice that some clothes have a space in the chest so they hold food and also, children.

When it is hot a layer of clothes can be taken off and tied on the waist to adjust the body temperature. At night they can also take one or two layers of clothes and it can be used as a sleeping bag.

Read More: THE BEST 4-DAY ITINERARY IN LHASA, TIBET

Women in Tibet IMG_4910-3 The beauty of the People of Tibet fascinating people of Tibet Fascinating people with a strong spirit Man in Tibet

THEY WERE AS CURIOUS ABOUT ME AS I WAS ABOUT THEM

Visiting the landmarks in Lhasa was fascinating, but my favorite part was wandering the streets of Lhasa watching, connecting with and photographing people.

As fascinated as I was about their culture and beauty, they were equally curious about me. Kids and adults, would stop and look at me and smile.

I would often hear a “Hello” from someone walking. When I responded, “Hello”, it was often greeted with giggles.

Most could not speak English, but even the kids knew “Hello”. Many times they would ask to take a photograph with me, or ask me to take a photo of them.

I don’t know if it was my long blonde hair, the way I dressed (bundled against the cold), or my fair skin that made me an attraction.

My husband was feeling like a superstar from the last superhero movie. A tall, blond and blue-eyed American guy walking around Lhasa is not very usual and it was so fascinating to just watch their smile and genuine behavior. Not only from the kids but also the adults who would look, smile and ask to take a picture with him. It never happened with us before.

Read More: 15 TIPS FOR ETHICAL AND RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL

A curious kid in the streets of Tibet A curious boy in the streets of Tibet Man in Tibet Curious boy in Tibet smile of a strong spirit People in Tibet taking pictures with my husband People in Tibet were so intrigued by my tall and blonde husband, he was a celebrity People of Tibet in front of Potala Palace a monk with my husband in Tibet People with a stong spirit

WINTER IS THE BEST TIME TO MEET PEOPLE IN TIBET

Yes, I visited Tibet in January and it was cold. Really cold. Painfully cold!

It was cold to the point that I wanted to buy all the traditional clothes I saw because they looked so much warmer and cozier than my North Face triclimate jacket for snow weather, plus 5 additional layers of clothes I was wearing.

During New Year, Lhasa becomes filled with beautiful and colorful people wearing traditional handmade clothing and shoes. Despite the cold, my visit to Lhasa was amazing.

Since the land in Tibet is frozen and the farmers and nomads can’t do much farming they go on a pilgrimage to holy places like the temples and monasteries in Lhasa.

The people of Tibet come from everywhere, including very distant areas such as Kham and Amdo.

The best part of visiting Lhasa during the winter is that there are almost no tourists.

I enjoyed this so much and every day I wanted to join the pilgrims on their koras (spiritual walk) around the Jokhang Temple and just observe their beauty and devotion to Buddhism.

in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet In front of Potala Palace People of tibet praying Local Tibetan in Lhasa Women walking on the streests of Lhasa Women in Tibet Man selling products in Tibet Family in Tibet IMG_5103

Mostly in winter, the days are very sunny, with an unbelievable blue sky and a few clouds.

Have I mentioned it is quite cold in the morning and evening already? But during the daytime the temperature is nice.

But if you want to visit Lhasa at another time of the year, that’s also fine. Lhasa is a great destination to visit all year round!

I definitely want to go back to explore more of the mountains and the villages outside Lhasa. The pictures my guide showed were stunning. But maybe it would be a good idea to go in another time of the year when it is slightly warmer. It is not even recommended to visit these remote areas during wintertime.

WHO ARE THE PEOPLE OF TIBET

The population of Tibet is estimated to be 6 million people.

They primarily speak Tibetan languages and Chinese. The population is composed of several different ethnic groups and features distinctive regional traditions and dress.

Many Tibetan’s lives are dedicated to religion and it is part of everyday life, from chanting mantras and prostrating in a local square to walking the ‘kora’ around a temple or sacred site.

Most Tibetans follow Tibetan Buddhism while a small percentage believe in Bon (the oldest spiritual tradition of Tibet).

A devotee prostrates themselves by laying face down and arms stretched forward.

They then stand up and walk forward to where their hands touched and prostrate themselves again. I saw all ages of people doing this (~8 years to 60+ years).

It is very common to see people turning prayer wheels, which hold scriptures or prayers inside.

Turning the prayer wheel is equivalent to reciting scriptures and it has become routine for Buddhists in Tibet.

face of strong spirit a woman in Tibet kids praying in Tibet Kids praying in Tibet faces of strong spirit in Tibet Monks in Tibet Monks practicing Tibetan Buddhist debate IMG_4719 IMG_4718

PEOPLE OF TIBET ARE VERY GIVING PEOPLE

Tibetans are very giving people and live out of compassion and detachment. The people that I saw visiting the sacred  sights brought donations and offerings.

I saw people from all corners of Tibet. Most appeared to lead very simple lives in remote villages. They brought donations and offerings of what they had.

Many donated money by placing it at statues in the temples and monasteries and it was also very common for pilgrims to offer yak butter. Among yak butter’s many uses is for lamps in a temple or monastery. In fact, the scent of yak butter was pervasive in the sights that we visited.

The perception that I had was that these people were giving, not what they could afford to give, but what they wanted to give.

They were giving unconditionally for their faith and their desire for merit and progress on their path to enlightenment.

Man praying in Tibet women praying in Tibet Face of a strong spirit in Tibet Monks in Tibet Women in Tibet Beautiful people of Tibet People of Tibet Little girl in Tibet Woman in Tibet Family in Tibet

4 WAYS TO BE RESPECTFUL TO THE PEOPLE OF TIBET

  1. GO TO TIBET WITH AN OPEN MIND – Remember that you are a guest in an occupied country. Be respectful of the laws and rules that the government has imposed. Observe!
  2. ALMOST ALL THE TIBETANS ARE DEEPLY DEVOTED TO THE DALAI LAMA – The 14th Dalai Lama’s exile and treatment by the Chinese government are sources of grief and anger among many Tibetans. Images, literature and talk of the 14th Dalai Lama are prohibited. Respect this very sensitive topic and do not put Tibetans in danger by openly discussing it.
  3. WALK ON THE RIGHT DIRECTION –  While you are visiting, the palace, monasteries, temples or walking Barkhor Street – clockwise.
  4. INTERACT WITH THEM –  Tibetans are very friendly and as curious as we are about their culture, they are about us too. Share a meal with people of Tibet or a butter tea, they will be very happy about it. I also found Tibet to be the best place for people pictures. Make an eye contact, smile and ask for permission. The majority will smile back and allow a photograph, and showing them the photo you just took will make them happy.

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THE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR I USED DURING MY TRIP TO TIBET

 

Here is a list of the photography gear I used during my trip to Tibet and I recommend:

 

  • Canon 70D  I have been shooting with this camera for a long time and I just love the quality of the photos and videos
  • Canon 18-135mm  lens is my favorite and my go-to lens for landscape, city and street photojournalism.
  • Canon 70-300mm I use these lens when shooting from distance and I just love how sharp and stable  and lightweight
  • DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone takes great pictures, besides the amazing videos. It is not allowed to fly a drone in many places, therefore I only use it in a very few places that allows it.
  • Samsung Galaxy 10 is the phone I use and also has an amazing camera for when you are far from your camera and still want to get great quality pictures.
  • SanDisk 128GB Memory Card – If you are like me and take many pictures and do videos, remember to have an additional memory card. You will need some extra storage capacity and it is the best way to protect the images transferring from your camera.

If you like my photos, I would love you to follow me on Instagram.

 

WHERE NEXT? My top picks to make your trip the best experience

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Tibet Travel Guide

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Guidebook to Tibet

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People of Tibet - Faces of a strong spirit

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34 thoughts on “Photoblog: People of Tibet – Faces of a strong spirit”

  1. Paula parabéns, fotos que nos fazem viajar por culturas tão distantes e tão peculiares…resumindo fantástico este trabalho.

  2. Your pictures are absolutely stunning! Such level of detail! It was really interesting to see the beads and traditional clothing, I sometimes feel that there are so few places left in the world where people honor traditional dress enough to wear it for celebrations!

  3. Thank you Alina, I am so happy you like it. Tibet is without doubt one of richer cultural experiences I ever had.

  4. Hi Paula! I’m so glad you visited my country even though i’ve never been to Tibet.I’m a us citizen but can never visit Tibet due to my name.Reading your story and seeing the pictures just brought tears but immense joy also.For a moment,i imagined myself in Tibet.I will definitely visit Tibet someday before i die.Thank You for this beautiful write up.

  5. Hi Pema – I am so glad you found my post about the amazing people of Tibet. I have been to more than 40 countries, and it is so true when I say that the Tibetan people are the kindest people I’ve ever met in my life. What an amazing beautiful people, culture and country. Yes, I am sure you will visit Tibet one day!

  6. Your portraits are stunning! All those smiles made me want to meet those people! A beautiful article!

  7. Your photography is incredible! Really loved seeing the people of Tibet through your pictures, I hope to go one day and see it for myself 🙂

  8. Wow! What stunning photos. So many interesting faces! I’ve never really thought about going to Tibet but as a fellow photographer this post has made me want to go!!

  9. Your photos are so evocative. It’s amazing the expressions you’ve captured and the beautiful smiles.

  10. You have managed to transport me there, intrigue and fascinate me at the same time. What a stellar job, well done!

  11. Wow. This is absolutely incredible. These photos really capture the Tibet culture. Thank you so much for this.

  12. Wow, these photos are absolutely amazing! I think you really managed to capture the spirit of Tibet. Thank you for sharing, I really enjoyed this post! 🙂

  13. All of these pictures are amazing! You captured the beauty of the people of Tibet so wonderful! Thank you for sharing!

  14. Well, I wasn’t expecting this to have such an effect on me! It must be related to being homebound for the last few weeks. Beautiful photos of a beautiful people!

  15. Thanks Agnes – Yes, my visit to Tibet was incredible and it had a very strong meaning to me to get to know the people and their stories. Thanks for visiting my blog.

  16. Thanks you Valerie, your comment means a lot to me. People in Tibet are incredible, genuine and so kind and I am so happy to be able to share a little of what I have seen and learned during my visit.

  17. Thank you so much Galatia, your kind words encourage me to continue to travel and meet amazing people around the world.

  18. Thank you Bliss – I am so happy you enjoyed my pictures. The people of Tibet make is so easy to take amazing pictures and to capture their kindness through their smiles was an amazing experience.

  19. Hi Bella, thank you so much for your very positive feedback and I am so happy to hear you want to visit Tibet. Tibet was on my top list of places to visit and it was much better than what I expected. It is a very powerful experience.

  20. Yeahhh…I am so glad to hear you want to visit Tibet Kariss. You will love it, as Tibet is not only a beautiful country but the people make it so amazing. You will love it!

  21. Thank you Great so much. I also hope you can visit Tibet one day, you will just love the experience.

  22. Thank you Ophelie – I loved Tibet in so many ways. It is a transformation trip for sure, very spiritual a lot of learning opportunities, besides the amazing beauty of people and landscape.

  23. How nice to read about the Tibetan people and their spirit. Your photos are really beautiful, Paula.

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