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Tibet Tour 2007—July
24-August 8, 2007
Join us for a tour to the heartland of Tibet: Lhasa, Shigatze, Gyantze and Tsedang. and the starkly beautiful scenery of the central Tibetan plateau. This trip will introduce many of the ideas and tenets of Tibetan Buddhism along with the historical context in which they developed and allow us to gain a better understanding of one of the most unique cultures in the world. Our journey will include a ride on the recently completed “Sky Train,” which we will board in Xining, Qinghai Province for the trip to Lhasa. In Lhasa, we will tour the Jokhang Temple, the first Buddhist temple in Tibet, built in the 8th century with the aid of a magical goat. Today, it remains the spiritual center of Tibetan Buddhism. We will walk the Barkhor route, the circular pilgrimage that is the heart of old Lhasa, and visit the Potala Palace, the traditional home of all of the Dalai Lamas until 1959. We will also visit temples around Lhasa and see monks practicing their unique form of Buddhist debate. From Lhasa we travel to Shigatze, the home of the second most powerful and revered leader of Tibetan Buddhism, the Panchen Lama. We will also visit temples and markets in Gyantze and Tsedang, including the Samye Monastery (near Tsedang), the first monastery in Tibet, founded in the 8th century with the help of Guru Rinpoche, an Indian monk and famous exorcist who subdued the great demons of Tibet and allowed Buddhism to flourish. I hope you can join us. Dave Bleyle—tour leader Dave Bleyle served in the US Foreign Service Officer for
27 years. Dave was Consul General in Chengdu, Sichuan Province
(2000-2003) and traveled extensively in the Tibetan Autonomous
Region and the Tibetan areas of Sichuan, Yunnan and Gansu. His
career included four tours on the Mainland and two years in Taiwan
for over a total of 13 years in China. Dave is fluent in Chinese
and speaks a little Tibetan. He led the Council’s 2005 “Journey
to Kham” tour on the eastern Tibetan plateau. |