I have always wanted to visit Tibet. As a child, I used to read books on this fascinating land with its Potala Palace, yaks, butter tea and prayer wheels. We took an Air Asia flight from Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu and flew on a domestic flight to Lhasa.
Lhasa, at a height of 3,680 m, is a 1,400-year-old city of culture and history. The average height of the Qinghai Tibet plateau is 4,000 metres. The places of interest we visited in Lhasa were the Potala Palace, the Norbulinka Palace, the Jokhang Monastery and the Sera monastery.
The Potala Palace, built in AD633, was the residence of the Dalai Lamas until 1959. Thirteen stories high, it is the highest ancient palace in the world, with over 1,000 rooms. I was breathless when I reached the top via narrow, almost vertical, steep wooden steps. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Potala Palace is like a museum with many cultural relics and artworks. These included almost 10,000 tangka paintings since the Ming Dynasty and 100 scrolls of ancient Buddhist scriptures.
The Norbulinka Palace (‘Beautiful Gardens’) was the summer residence of the Dalai Lamas. The Jokhang Monastery is the holiest place for Tibetan Buddhists. We saw many believers prostrating as they reached the monastery. The Barkhor Bazaar selling Tibetan handicrafts is just outside the sanctuary. The Sera monastery, founded in 1419, is a famous place of learning. We saw many monks dressed in maroon robes in the courtyard having a boisterous debate session. At night, we saw the spectacular outdoor live performance musical of the Tang dynasty Princess Wenchen’s journey from Xian (Chang An) to marry the king of Tibet in AD 640.
We also visited Shigatse, the second-biggest city in Tibet. There is a splendid network of roads from Lhasa. We saw yaks crossing the street. There is a joke that they act as highway traffic lights. One must stop, look and go when you meet these carefree creatures!
We were captivated by the beautiful scenery along the winding road frequented by big long-distance trucks. The plateau was vast, with vibrant yellow rapeseed and barley farms. There are subtropical forests, snowcapped mountains and sparkling pristine lakes reflecting the trees in the water. Prayer flags added a splash of colour to the houses.
We visited the holy lake Yamdrok and passed the Karuola Glacier. The road reached a height of over 5,000 metres. We were also shown the mountain where the Tibetans had their sky burial involving vultures. We also had the pleasure of visiting a Tibetan family and were served Tibetan delicacies, including yak butter tea with tsampa, their staple barley flour. On our drive back to Lhasa via the Yaluzangbu River, we visited a Tibetan Mastiff base. The dogs are known for their fierce loyalty and fearlessness.
The highlight of our tour was undoubtedly the train journey on the highest railway in the world, the Qinghai-Tibet Rail. We took the overnight trip of 1963 kilometres from Lhasa to Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province. Before embarking, we had to sign a health declaration form to certify that we were physically and mentally fit for the journey. The highest stop was at the Tanggula railway station at 5073 metres. Oxygen was supplied to every passenger. A doctor was available on every train.
In Xining, we visited Qinghai Lake, the biggest salt lake in the world. At a height of 3205m, it is about four times the size of Singapore. It is a popular transit for several bird migrations across Asia. From Xining, we flew to Chengdu before returning to Malaysia.
Due to the high altitude, the trip was initially physically challenging. But the brilliant blue skies, fluffy white clouds, beautiful scenery, and unique people made it all worthwhile and unforgettable.
Loh Yunn Hua
Yunn Hua is still practising in Primary Care and Occupational Health and Safety in Miri, Sarawak, when not travelling. Her interests are exploring, reading, writing, and music. Her favourite quotation is, ‘Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
