Tibet is a country that covers most of the parts of the Tibetan plateau and it falls in modern-day China. The Tibetan people use it as their traditional Homeland and there are some other ethnic groups also in Tibet like Monpa, Sherpa, Qiang, Lhoba and Tamang peoples. There are some important inhabitants called Hui people and Han Chinese. All these are very interesting names for me and I started getting excited on Nepal Tibet Bhutan tour.
Ethnic groups of peoples in Tibet
All these names were very new for me when I went to Tibet and came to know about them. I wanted to know more about them I asked my guide and then he told me Monpa were the people from the ethnic group of Arunachal Pradesh, a state located in the North-Eastern part of India. Monpa peoples are also counted among one of the 56 ethnic groups in China who are officially recognized. Tamang people are the largest ethnic group in Tibet. They are the ethnic groups of Indian Gorkhas and Nepali peoples. If we talk about the Qiang people, this is an ethnic group in China. It is also one of the recognized groups like monpa. Loha people are the snow Tibetan speaking tribal people. They live in Pemako. It is a region in the South-Eastern part of Tibet. Sherpa people belong to an ethnic group of Nepal.
The architecture
The architecture of birth has a very strong influence on China and India. We all know about the consistent impact and approach of Buddhism on Nepal Tibet and Bhutan. Many places in Tibet that happen to be wonderful examples of beautiful architecture.
The Buddhist wheel
The Buddhist wheel has two Dragons. This can be seen on almost every Gompa in Tibet. Now you may be wondering what a ‘Gompa’ is. A Gompa is also called as Gling. The literal meaning of Gompa is a remote place.
The Tibetan Chortens
The designs of the Tibetan Chortens were unforgettable. There were roundish walls in Kham. Khan is a place in Tibet. It is located in its historical region. Chortens are another name given to Stupas. Along with roundish walls, there were squarish walls with 4 sides and Ladakh.
The South Facing Houses
Generally, in India, people prefer north-facing or East facing houses but in Tibet, most of the houses and monasteries were made in the manner that they face the south direction. Most of the monasteries and houses were located on sunny sites. The houses and the monasteries are made out of a mixture of wood, Earth, cement, and rocks. The roofs of the houses are flat and they have been constructed in the manner that they can conserve heat. There are so many windows to the houses to permit the sunlight to come inside.
Potala Palace
Potala Palace cannot be forgotten when we are talking about the architecture of Tibet. Potala Palace was also popular as the residence of the Dalai Lama. If anyone of you does not know who the lie Lama is, please note that Dalai Lama is a title given to the most important spiritual leader of the ‘Yellow Hat’ School of Tibetan Buddhism. It is given by the Tibetan people. Different people own the title of Dalai Lama. It has over 1,000 rooms and 13 stories. There are various statues of the Buddha and the portraits of the previous Dalai Lamas. It was an unforgettable journey of Nepal Bhutan Tibet tour packages.