[Buddha-l] China and Tibet, again

[andy]

On Monday 26 July 2010 03:17:40 am Erik Hoogcarspel wrote:

> I recently visited Zhongdian, Yunnan. It has been officially renamed as
> Shangrila (or Xiangelila as the Chinese pronounce it). Although there
> are some old Tibetan monasteries in the neighborhood, the main
> population consists of minorities like Zang, Jie Bai, and others.
> Zongdian however has been remodeled to become hyper-Tibet. The place is
> full of shopkeepers who are professionally Tibetan star-artists, selling
> thighbone trumpets in silk coated gift boxes and thankas that are
> microscopically correct. The whole place is full of yak tails, dried
> yakmeat and buttertea. Half of the restaurants are vague copies of
> places in McCloud Ganj. The Chinese love it and believe themselves to
> have entered another spiritual dimension, reading James's novel 'Lost
> horizon' as a historical report. By the way, the main monastery has a
> separate puja room dedicated to Dorje Shugden with 1000 effigies of the
> bugger.
> 
> erik

As some in Hawaii say, tourism is a social disease. 


-- 
James Andy Stroble, PhD
Lecturer in Philosophy
Department of Arts & Humanities
Leeward Community College
University of Hawaii

Adjunct Faculty 
Diplomatic and Military Studies
Hawaii Pacific University 

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