Tibet Travel and Tourism Guide

With heights going beyond 4,000 meters, Tibet is commonly known as the "Roof of the World". In the 7th century, under King Songtsän Gampo, the Tubo Dynasty united and unified many parts of the Tibet region. Constantly fighting over the control of the Silk Road with then Tang China, the country was rarely peaceful despite its unification, being engulfed in turmoil between the 9th century and the mid 17th century. Partial peace was only regained when the Dalai Lama invited a tribe of Mongols to intervene. The Mongols later stayed on with their military control of the region, with the leader declaring himself king. The Dalai Lama, though, retained his religious authority in administering the country. The Mongols were later expelled in the early 18th century when then Qing China ordered an invasion on Tibet, beginning a special relation between the two which lasted through the end of the Qing Dynasty, where Tibet barely regained control of its own territory before the Dalai Lama's forced exile in 1959 and China took over control of Tibet.

Since the early 1600s, the Dalai Lamas, spiritual leaders of the region, are believed to be the emanations of Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. Between the 17th century and 1959, the Dalai Lama and his regents were the ruling political party exerting religious authority over Tibet from Tibet's holiest city, Lhasa.

Tibet is a most beautiful place to travel and experience life!