Tibet, the roof of the world

A little Tibetan boy from a village in Western Tibet

The face of a Tibetan is unmistakable. Deep brown weathered skin, dark eyes, and always smiling. Always.

We've spent two days exploring Lhasa, Tibet's capital and the spiritual home of Tibetan Buddhism (yep, they let us in and didn't check for permits - phew), and we're starting to wonder if the locals are permanently giddy from the altitude, particularly when you begin to get an understanding of what they have been subjected to over the years.

We're not experts, but here's the facts as far as we see them:

• Since 1950, when 30,000 Chinese troops attacked Tibet from six different directions crushing an ill-prepared and doomed Tibetan army, the Chinese 'liberation' of the Tibetans has led to more than 1.2 million deaths.
• El Salvador was the only member of the UN to sponsor a motion to condemn the Chinese aggression. Britain and India (so called 'friends' of Tibet) actually managed to convince the UN not to debate the issue for fear of Chinese disapproval.
• The Dalai Lama has always advocated peaceful negotiations - even in the face of fierce aggression and deception.
• When the Chinese Government took control of the high passes of Tibet and India in 1959, the Tibetan Government was abolished and Tibetan society was re-ordered in accordance with Marxist principles - monasteries were destroyed, monks were forced to disrobe and marry, and Tibetan farmers were forced to abandon barley crops in favour of rice (which doesn't grow at high altitudes) causing widespread starvation.
• During the cultural revolution almost every religious monument in Tibet was destroyed and arrests, torture, deforestation, and labour camps became a way of life.
• These days the Tibetan people enjoy only limited religious freedoms. The Dalai Lama remains unwelcome in his own country, there are strict quotas on resident monks and nuns, and the Chinese continue to use tactics of violence and intimidation.

A buddhist prayer site on the yellow river in western Tibet

This only scratches the surface, but it's hard not to be impressed by the spirit of the Tibetan people and the strength of their beliefs. It's impossible to walk into the centre of town and not get swept along by the hundreds of pilgrims walking the Barkour circuit.

Pilgrims walking the Barkour circuit

The circuit is the most famous Lhasa pilgrimage. The walk begins and ends in Barkhour Square and takes you around the Jokhang Temple, the most revered religious structure in Tibet, and is dotted with prayer wheels, chapels, souvenir stands and giant incense burners. These days, the Barkhour Square is paved and open, giving the Chinese a clear view of the locals. (In older photos, it was filled with shrubs and plants.) But remains the focus of protest and violence between the Tibetans and the Chinese.

There are at least five clockwise routes around the city's religious sights. On each one, you'll find the tourists vastly outnumbered by pilgrims spinning prayer wheels and stopping to pray on the pavement, or monks chanting mantras. It's an amazing sight and a real treat.

Check out some of our photos