Before
1949, the map of Tibet Kingdom included a large part of
what are today called the Yunnan, Sichuan provinces (both
previous "Kham" region of Tibet) and Qinghai
province (previous "Amdo" region of Tibet).
When Chinese government refers to Tibet, it is about the
"Tibet Autonomous Region" area that covers 1/3
of the ancient Kingdom.
Still
today, the Tibetan buddhism influence remains strong in
some parts of these 3 provinces. In Yunnan, some minorities
have integrated part of Tibetan buddhism in their religious
beliefs (Mosuos and Naxi ethnies for example)
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(map
from www.tew.org) |
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This
plate, a door
entrance photographied
in Lake Lu Gu
Hu (home of Mosuos
minority) is written
in Chinese characters
as well as in
Tibetan.
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This
is the central
road of Yong
Ning town,
located 25 km
away from the
Lu Gu Hu Lake.
Its inhabitants
have a very
traditional
way of living
in accordance
of Tibetan buddhism
rituals. They
are Mosuo people
like the ones
living around
the lake, but
they have much
fewer contacts
with tourists
and their living
style is not
(yet?) influenced
by tourism's
benefits.
Yong
Ning town holds
a famous tibetan
temple described
hereafter.
At
the time I was
there, it was
possible to
access the village
by car, but
the path is
often flooded
with water and
the only way
to reach the
village is ...
by horse or
by walk.
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This
is the entrance
of the Buddhist
temple of YongNing
village. |
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50m
after the main
entrance, a traditional
tibetan "stupa"
and 2 other buildings
of the temple
stands there. |
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The
Stupa displaying
the photo of Buddha
(half top) and
the traditional
buddhist swastika
(down) |
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closer
view of the so
typical brass
rolls on the side
of the Stupa. |
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Main
building of this
magnificient Temple,
the biggest of
this remote region. |
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Mosuos
people come to
pray inside the
temple or just
pass by the entrance
of the temple
and roll the brass
small barrels
one after one
as a sign of prayer. |
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Entrance
door of the Temple |
Mosuo
woman passing
by the door |
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A
Mosuo Lama (priest)
recites traditional
Tibetan prayers. |
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While
reciting the sacred
texts, the Lama
shortly plays traditional
cymbal / drum as
a call to people
who pray in prosterning
/ laying down to
the ground, exactly
as Tibetans do. |
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