Living Buddha: Tibetans enjoy full religious freedom

"Taking the Tibetan oral epic tale Life of King Gesar for example, I remember I saw only two or three books on it when I was young. Now I have seen more than 70 books on it," he said.

Awang (L), an official from Xigaze of China's Tibet  Autonomous Region and also a member of the delegation of  Tibetan deputies of China's National People's Congress  (NPC), talks with a representative of local overseas Chinese in New York, the United States, March 18, 2009.(Xinhua Photo)

The lengthy oral epic which was created between the 10th and 16th centuries tells the story of the ancient Tibetan King Gesar who conquered other Tibetan tribes and brought stability to Tibet.

For a thousand years, the tale has been passed down through singing or recitation by ballad singers or lyricists among Tibetans, Mongolians, and Tu and Naxi people living on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The Chinese central government has earmarked special funds for the collection, collation and publishing of the text of the oral epic tale.

Chen Ching-chun, head of a Chinese society in New York, said he visited Tibet in 2007 and was convinced that "there is no such things like oppression of religion in Tibet."