Tibet

Jahzong - Tibetan Tribal Leader

Abstract: 
This novel, in English and Tibetan, is set on the eastern Tibetan Plateau in the era prior to . It traces the life of a young man, Jahzong, from his dramatic childhood, following him in his struggles to unite local warring tribes and bring peace to his people.  "An electrifying, revelatory experience. In it, we learn much about the lives of Tibetan tribal groups that cannot be found in any academic treatise." Victor H. Mair, Professor, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia  "A rare insight into an intriguing world of violence and compassion that has all but disappeared." Fernanda Pirie, Oxford University  "A treasure. A window to the past and present of a dynamic Tibetan culture. A story full of life flowing with harsh reality and vivid imagination." Douglas Duckworth, Florida State University "Ethnographic and immediate, Guru's novel brings readers into a world of Eastern Tibetans generations ago. The spell-binding chain of events echoes the dynamics of traditional heroic epic and folktale." Mark Bender, The Ohio State University 

Sustainable Development of Monastic Tourism in Tibetan Areas

Abstract: 
Tibetan monastic tourism is discussed including prior leasehold experience in Tsang lha Township (Zhānglà 障腊), as well as recent efforts at Sku 'bum (Tǎ'er Sì 塔尔寺) and Bla brang (Lābǔléngsì 拉卜楞) monasteries in the context of field work completed to in Zung chu rdzong (Sōngpān 松潘) and Gzi tsha sde dgu rdzong (Jíuzhàigōu 九寨沟) in Sìchuān (四川) Province, Bla brang Monastery in Gānsù (甘肃) Province, and Sku 'bum Monastery in Qīnghǎi 青海 Province. Four points are addressed in considering the sustainability of Tibetan monastic tourism: the role of monasteries in tourism; monasteries and cultural interpretation, particularly tour guides' interpretations; protection of monasteries' historical relics; and a framework for sustainable monastic tourism.