Eastern and Western Questions: Sinologist Maklin: Has Tibet's traditional culture "weakened" after experiencing rapid modernization?

2023-05-31

In the past 35 years, I have visited the Tibet Autonomous Region of China multiple times, as well as the Tibetan related areas in Qinghai, Gansu, and Sichuan. I have also studied Tibetan history and contemporary Tibet. Of course, this does not mean that I have an accurate and accurate understanding of all aspects of Tibet, but it does provide a good foundation for me to comment on the current situation in Tibet. Western media often view and discuss Tibetan related topics from a negative perspective. China is often described as "invading Tibet", "suppressing" and "eroding" the religion and culture of the Tibetan people, and in other ways "violating human rights". The Western world regards the 14th Dalai Lama as a star, giving him the status of a demigod; He is regarded as a symbol of Tibet and has the right to speak on behalf of Tibet. Many people also believe that the Dalai Lama has the right to return to Tibet under the conditions he has set and restore the authority he once held there. I think this viewpoint is extremely wrong and dangerous. Tibet is a part of China's territory, and this fact will not change in the future. I realize that the history of Tibet is complex and rich, but my research has convinced me that China's sovereignty over Tibet is legitimate and legitimate. Undoubtedly, the international community has also affirmed this. Yumai, a border village in Tibet, hangs the national flag to welcome the National Day. Today, I am going to talk about issues in the cultural field. Many Western reports talk about China's "suppression" of Tibetan religion, language, lifestyle, architecture, and art. In his speech at the British Parliament in 1996, the Dalai Lama even claimed that China had implemented a "cultural extinction" in Tibet. Afterwards, he and some others repeatedly proposed this statement. Tibet Buddhist Academy welcomes a new semester, with students waiting for classes. Zhao Lang believes that this statement is absurd, irrational, and malicious, based on two points: firstly, China's policies clearly support the traditional culture of ethnic minorities; Secondly, during my visit to Tibet, I witnessed many aspects that showed the vitality of traditional culture, including Tibetan language, clothing, architecture, and art. In my opinion, Tibetan Buddhism and other forms of traditional religion have indeed been preserved and are full of vitality. The Chubu Temple Divine Dance Activity in Tibet welcomes the Tibetan New Year. Although Tibet is still relatively backward in economy compared to most provinces in China, it has undergone a rapid modernization process. This has also had an impact on many aspects of life in the region, especially in terms of social development, living standards, and people's thinking patterns. In May 2021, the Information Office of the State Council of China released a white paper titled "Peaceful Liberation and Prosperous Development of Tibet". This document provides detailed facts to support the argument that Tibet has rapidly modernized in recent years. I will only repeat what I think is particularly important here: in Tibet, absolute poverty has been completely eliminated, just like other regions of China. The gross domestic product of Tibet has increased from 129 million yuan (RMB, the same below) in 1951 to over 190 billion yuan in 2020, an increase of nearly 1500 times. Infrastructure and living standards have also significantly improved. The average life expectancy in Tibet has increased from 35.5 years in 1951 to 71.1 years in 2019. Poverty alleviation and wealth alleviation families in the agricultural and pastoral areas of Xietongmen County, Shigatse City, Tibet

Edit:Luo yu    Responsible editor:Jia jia

Source:CNS.cn

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