Han Chinese Tourists in Tibet

 

Actually, I like this couple. I didn't have the time to talk to them; I think I should have liked it. Somehow they remind me of Bruce Willis and Mary-Louise Parker in RED 2.

“More than 95 per cent of tourists to Tibet are Chinese. More than 15 million tourists visited Tibet Autonomous Region [TAR] in 2014, up more than 20 percent from 2013, according to the local government.”

Western tourists can only book guided tours, whereas the Chinese tourists can use their own car, but they also have to stop at the plethora of control points. Though some of these points aren’t so expendable as some regions are overcrowded and drivers would drive too fast – so sometimes the time to arrive at the next control is fixed (not earlier than).

Tourists come in a large variety. Some want photography of temples or nature, some want to enjoy an exotic holiday, some want to dress up – and quite interestingly some want to pray.

 

This picture is an oldie from 2009

 

 

 You could call it harassment - 

souvenir seller besiege a car

 

A group of Han Chinese at praying 

according to the Vajrayana

 

I'd rather call them pilgrims than tourists

 

Dressing up for the tourist round

 

 

At the 5000 km point on the Shanghai-Kathmandu Road

 

 

In front of the Qomolungma (Mt. Everest)

 

Links:

http://factsanddetails.com/china/cat6/sub37/item2846.html

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