French media: Modernization unique way to preserve Tibetan traditions

　　(Source: People's Daily Online)

　　BEIJING, Aug. 5 -- In front of the Jokhang Monastery in central Lhasa, devout Buddhists prostrated their entire bodies on the roads to pray. The evening before, we saw the same scene. They moved around the Potala Palace, the procession was as long as several hundred meters or two to three kilometers. They walked, then prostrated their bodies on the ground, praying.

　　In Tibet, the freedom to believe in Buddhism has not been damaged. In the Tibet Autonomous Region, there are 1,700 temples with 46, 000 Lamas in red Buddhist robes. The Lamas keep praying and chanting sutras while tourists put bank notes with the portrait of Chairman Mao into niches with Buddhist statues.

　　Devout religious belief does not obstruct business. Rows of stalls selling Tibetan handicrafts line streets in Lhasa. In neighboring Qinghai province, there are similar scenes near the Xining Kumbum Monastery. In the Shannan prefecture of Tibet, near the foot of the Yongbulakang palace, one can also see similar sights. Any place in the world with a shrine is the same, business meets religion again. Yet the authorities do not complain.

　　Mr. Tong, an official from China's Human Rights Affairs Authority emphasized: "In 1950, 12 percent of Tibetans were Lamas who were secluded in temples. They neither worked nor had children because monks had no right to marriage. It was a big disadvantage to the impoverished Tibet of old. The huge challenge that the Chinese government faced was to modernize Tibet and help it develop like other regions of China."

　　At present, modernization is visible everywhere in Tibet. Lhasa has become a city with wide streets and streams of traffic. Chain stores of famous brands including Adidas, Etam and Playboy on main commercial streets of Lhasa have testified that modernization has entered the snow-capped plateau. Three years ago, railways connected Tibet with China‘s other regions. The construction of other railway lines is also being planned in order to improve the region's transportation.

　　A rural family in a village near Lhasa took us into their home, which had been recently built by the municipal government. It was modern and comfortable. The living room was like a DARTY exhibition hall, the largest chain of appliance stores in France. There was a large home entertainment center, a new hi-fi stereo and a fridge with protective coating. The rooms in the house were very beautiful and painted in multiple colors. Several days later, we saw the same scene in Tibet‘s Shannan Prefecture.

　　Modernization is not the same in cities and rural areas. The Dalai Lama, who is in exile in India, once publicly criticized the Chinese central government for destroying Tibet's traditions and "sinicizing" Tibet. In response, the Chinese people have made a solemn promise to pay great attention to preserve the overall characteristics of ethnic minorities.

　　We visited a primary school, where the pupils learn the Tibetan, Han and English languages starting from first grade. An official of an education bureau in the Tibet Autonomous Region said: "In a globalized world, if there are no exchanges between cultures, a culture may become extinct." In the school library, books printed in Tibetan could be found, but the masterpieces of great foreign writers such as Jules Verne only have Han-language editions. The principal of the school said: "So far, nobody has translated them into Tibetan."

　　Since 2002, Tibet University in Lhasa has been striving to use the elegant Tibetan language in technology. Professor Ngodrup together with over 30 university students has achieved the digitalization of the Tibetan language, and their achievement has been accepted by Microsoft and Linux operating systems.

　　Fang Lingmin, vice president of Tibet University, emphasized: "Now, we can input the Tibetan language into the computer using a keyboard." At present, professor Ngodrup and his students are dedicated to developing a new kind of software, so that the Tibetan alphabet can be installed on mobile phones in order to send short messages in Tibetan.

　　At the Zedang Vocational School in Shannan Prefecture, students are learning traditional carpet weaving and knitting. The principal of the school explained, "These students were all shepherds; in the future, they will be employed by businesses or will return to their hometowns to continue these traditional handicrafts, selling their handicraft products to tourists."

　　He added: "They all voluntarily learn these handicrafts. The training we offer can help them improve their quality of life. In the past, people lived in the countryside and had little education."