Hey guys, I was wondering if anyone has any travel experience in Tibet as an American. Is Tibet a safe place? I know it is a "conflict zone" with minor rebellion towards the government of China. Is it possible to enter Tibet from Nepal as an American?
Definitely possible. Know some people who did that. But be prepared to pay an amazingly high amout of money, that is if you wanna be safe.
>>1056172
Why so high? And what are the safety concerns?
>>1056146
OP you can visit Tibet if you join a guided tour provided by a government licensed travel agency.
This is the only way you can enter Tibet if you are not Chinese citizen. They check for identifications at airports and train stations for flights/trains going to Tibet.
If you are only gonna visit Lhasa, it's pretty safe. Tons of Chinese tourists go there every year. No unrest, riots or whatever. It's just a normal tourism city.
The rest of Tibet is unsafe, not because it's a war zone, but more because it's kinda lawless. In some remote parts of Tibet, there's no police, so the local people set up roadblocks on state highways and collect "passage fees". That's the worst it can get.
OP can only go if he joins a guided tour. Avoid at any costs talking about the Dalai Lama unless your guides bring it up (like showing you the tombs of the previous Lamas on top of the main palace in Lhasa.) Owning photos of the Dalai Lama is a crime, and if you talk with locals about politics they can get into trouble. Also I suggest leaving laptop and phone at home, the may search for anti-China propaganda and question you needlessly.
Avoid going in early March (Uprising Day) or near the Dalai Lama's birthday, because they might assume you're a reporter. Reporters aren't allowed.
If you want to stay as safe as possible, pretend like you're absolutely ignorant of history and politics of Tibet. You aren't Buddhist, you believe Tibet has always been a part of China, you have no opinions on anything. Smile and enjoy the tour. There isn't much of a rebellion aside from a few immolations, and the monks will never try to harm you.
Be prepared tough, the air is very thin and you will probably have altitude sickness the whole time.
Traditional greetings are "Longsho" and "Bhod gyalo!"
>>1056146
Be aware not every Tibetan is like the Dalai Lama and the country has its share of scumbags like anywhere else. Outside the big cities it's a pretty rough place and there will be people eager to scam you, overcharge you, or worse.
To enter the Tibetan Autonomous Region legally you need to have a permit from the PRC government and you'll need to be on some kind of organised tour. I'm sure with enough money and nouse it would be possible to bypass that but that sounds pretty risky to me. An alternative would be to visit the Tibetan regions in Western Sichuan province. There are many towns in this area which are very much Tibetan but since they're outside the TAR you don't need a special permit to visit them. This would also enable you to travel independently, although you may want a guide if travelling to the more remote areas.
So basically China is trying to suppress Tibet at all possible costs. Or are these rules the same for anywhere in China?
Also, do most Tibetans speak english?
>>1056172
Also, does high mean thousands or hundreds of dollars?
>>1056447
They made it illegal to reincarnate without their consent, kidnapped and murdered the panchen lama, etc.
>>1056146
I went in high school (lol embassy school). Tibetans are super nice, but super incompetent. Don't drink their water, only eat their food if you absolutely must. Many do speak a very broken English, but in my experience they're very eager to try it out on you. It's the least hostile country I've ever been in, so your only major worries for crime are pickpockets. Your biggest concern will be making it to civilization by nightfall if you're in the mountains and the ever-present risk of dysentery.
>>1056447
>So basically China is trying to suppress Tibet at all possible costs. Or are these rules the same for anywhere in China?
It's mostly just Tibet. Xinjiang sometimes has similar rules.
They do close off various roads to foreigners sometimes or permanently but only ones outside military areas or officer housing or stuff like that. I've come across a fair few such roads but they're not really common.
Personally, I hate Tibetan food.
>>1056257
>Tibet has always been a part of China
Tibet is China though. Learn to irredenta. Had Tibet not attacked China centuries ago, it wouldn't have been taken over by the Chinese.
>>1056257
Now let's say one might have met the Dalia llama in India and put a photo of it on Facebook. Is it a problem even if I remove it? I know they don't have Facebook there...
Also will I be questioned, like have I met the Dalia llama.
Last time I checked yours were about 300 euros.
Thanks
>>1056948
Okay, btw when I said traditional greetings were Bhod gyalo and Longsho, I was kidding. Never say that, just smile and possibly offer a white scarf, that's considered polite.
I don't think a picture of the Dalai Lama would be a problem on your facebook (which is blocked anyway in China), so long as you don't talk about religion or separatism openly. It might even be possible to ask your guide for an opinion on separatism, like lightly bring up that there are a lot of hippies in America and India who suggest it and you'd like to know the historical view of the Chinese. The odds that you'll get questioned for no reason are next to nothing, but if you do you should probably just play dumb. "Yeah, I went to a monastery for a while in India and there was a program where he came to give a speech. He seemed nice enough."
I'm planning on a tour in the next few years and I've done the same thing, posted Dalai Lama photos when he came to the US. I've even been to a protest, and a lot of the people there are die-hard organizers who said they've been and aren't blocked from entering unless they plan to cause trouble.
When you come back post pics!
>>1057135
Lol what do those words mean?
>>1057159
Bhod gyalo means victory to Tibet and Longsho means rise up, and it's from their song that's basically the Tibetan version of Serbia Strong.
The lyrics end with, "The Dalai Lama is the leader of Tibetans in exile and in Tibet; The bloodstained hands of the enemy-executioner, imperialist China we will push you out of Tibet."
>the guards' face when you say this
>>1057135
Okay thanks man. no reason for me to worry then.
So im a Hong Kong national and they have a long term 'visa' thing called a home return permit. Allows me entry for business and tourism stuff. Since im considered a chinese national, would i still need to join a guided tour? My grandparents had the same permit and they were free to enter but that was before the uprisings.
>>1057161
