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Tibet lies in Trans Himalayan region. It is covered by theHimalayan range in the South, Kunlun range in Central Asia and Karakoram rangein the West. The Himalayan region in the Southern part of Tibet includes someof the highest mountains of the world. Namcha Barwa (7,756 m) and GurlaMandhata (7,728) are the two Himalayan mountain peaks located in Tibet.Chargoding Pass located at an altitude of 5,885 m above sea level is thehighest pass in Trans Himalayan Tibet.

Tibet is also known as the 'Roof of the world' as even thelower areas of Tibet are higher than mountain peaks in other regions of theworld. Himalayas in Tibet is the source of some of the biggest snow fed riversof the world. Yangtze, Indus, Ganges, Salween and Yellow river are some of the riverswhich originate from Tibet Himalayas.

Himalayas in Tibet has got attractive landscape. It is hometo the world's highest glaciers which are found on the Northern slope ofHimalayas and still remain unexplored by human being.

Climate of Tibet Himalayas

Himalayas in Tibet has the harsh climate. In summers itremains cool but in the winter season it becomes freezingly cold. The period ofsummers is very short and winters start from the month of October. The monthsof July and August are best to visit Tibet.

Flora and Fauna of Tibet Himalayas

Himalayas in Tibet are a habitat to various species of floraand fauna. The region boasts of around 790 species of vertebrates, 2000 speciesof plants, around 1000 herbal plants and 488 species of birds, 125 species ofrare animal species and more than 2000 kinds of insects.

Bear, leopard, wild sheep, wild deer, Bengal tiger, wildyak, snub nosed monkey and wild ass are some of the species which are found inthe forests of Tibet Himalayas.

Attractions in Himalayan region of Tibet

There are a number of tourist attraction destinations inTibet. The plateau is a home to a number of beautifully decorated Buddhistmonasteries, snow fed streams, lakes and hilly terrains.

Lhasa

Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet, located in the CentralSouthern part. It is also nicknamed as 'Sunlight City' and is situated at anelevation of 3,658 m above sea level. A number of Buddhist monuments can beseen in the capital city which was once the home of His Holiness Dalai Lamabefore exile. Lhasa is flocked by the nature lovers from different parts of theworld to catch the glimpses of nature's magnificent creation and to know aboutthe Buddhist culture of the region.

Mount Kailash

Mount Kailash is the holy pilgrimage of Hindus and is knownby the name of Khang Rinpoche. It is located in Tibet Himalayas in Western partof the country. Every year a large number of Hindu pilgrims from India visitMount Kailash, which they consider as abode of Lord Shiva. With an altitude of6.675 meters above sea level, Mount Kailash has remained a place of pilgrimfrom the past hundreds of years. The beautiful Mansarovar lake is also locatedin Mount Kailash, which is also considered holy by both Buddhists and Hindus.

Shigatse or Xigatse

Shigatse is one of the major towns of Tibet Himalayaslocated in South-West at an altitude of 12,600 feet, where Yarlung Tsangporiver is joined by Nyangchu River. It is the main centre for distribution ofanimal husbandry and agriculture products. It is also famous because of the locationof one of the age old beautiful Buddhist monasteries. One can purchase Tibetanhandicrafts, corals, turquoise, daggers, Yak butter and Chinese porcelain fromthe local market.

Zhangmu

With an altitude of 7,000 feet above sea level, Zhangmu isalso known as Khasa by local Tibetans. The hilly terrains of Zhangmu areheavily wooded by different species of high altitude trees and a number ofgushing waterfalls make this Himalayan region in Tibet one of the mostenchanting places to visit. It witnesses heavy snowfall in the months ofwinter.

Productivities

Some areas of Tibet are over 3000 metres above sea level. Itis very difficult to grow crops at this height. The most important Tibetan cropis barley. Barley flour is used to make a dough called tsampa, which is theirstaple food. Tsampa can be rolled into noodles or made into dumplings that aresteamed and called momos. Tibetan meat dishes consist of yak, goat and muttonand can be dried or cooked as a spicy stew. Mustard seeds feature a lot inTibetan cuisine because it is one of the few spices to be cultivated there on alarge scale. Yak milk is a versatile commodity featuring in yoghurt, butter andcheese. Well prepared yak yoghurt can be considered an item of prestige andluxury in Tibetan society.

Culture

Tibetan dress is still very conservative with most of thepopulation choosing to wear traditional styles rather than western clothes.Women wear dark wrap dresses over a blouse. If a woman is married she will alsowear a colourfully striped, woven wool apron. Long sleeves are worn throughoutthe year by both sexes regardless of the blazing summer months.

A khata is a traditional ceremonious scarf that serves as aversatile gift given on festive occasions. It is made of white silk, which symbolisesthe pure heat of the giver. The symbolism behind the gift promotes goodwill,auspiciousness and compassion. It is usually given at weddings, funerals,births, graduations, or to a host at the arrival or departure of guests. Whenit is presented it is accompanied by an acknowledgement of "TashiDelek", meaning "good luck".

Tibet music is religious music before it is anything else,and reflects the influence of Tibetan Buddhism on the culture. The music alsoreflects the heritage of the trans-Himalayan region and all ethnic Tibetangroups that are found in India, Bhutan and Nepal. Chanting is an integral partof Tibetan music and is often accompanied by drums.

Tibetan Calendar

The Tibetan calendar is a lunisolar calendar, which meansthat a Tibetan year has either 12 or 13 lunar months in it. Each month beginsand ends with a new moon. The 13th month is only added every three years, whichmakes an average Tibetan year equal to a solar year. Months are referred to bynumbers and are not nominal. They associate each year with an animal and anelement. The animals alternate in the following order: Hare, Dragon, Horse,Sheep, Ape, Bird, Dog, Pig, Mouse, Bull, and Tiger. The elements alsoalternate: Fire, Earth, Iron, Water, and Wood.

The Tibetans have a relatively complex system for numberingtheir years. Each element has 2 consecutive years. It has a male aspectfollowed by a female aspect: for example a male Earth-Dragon year would befollowed by a female Earth-Snake year, which would be followed by a maleIron-Horse year. Tibetans often leave the sex out as the year can be inferredfrom the animal.

Festival

Tibetan festivals are also deeply rooted in religion. Someof the most important festivals are the Losar, Shoton and the Bathing Festival.The Bathing Festival requires that each person take part in it three times inthe course of their lifetime: at birth, marriage and death. In Tibetan cultureit is believed that bathing is not a casual endeavour, but should rather besaved for the most important occasions only. Festivals are high points in thesocial calendar and feature many entertaining activities such as yak racing,which suggests that perhaps the bathing should be saved for the conclusion ofthe festivities.