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Journalists from Across Taiwan Straits Visit Tibet Together
Approximately 30 journalists from both sides of the Taiwan Straits, organized jointly by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the Chinese Journalists' Association, covered monasteries and temples, schools, enterprises, farmer-houses, museums and archive establishments in Lhasa and Xigaze from September 8 to 16. During the period, the correspondents not only had a full appreciation of the magnificent mountains and rivers, the splendid culture and the simple and unsophisticated folk customs, but got an intimate knowledge about the situation regarding Tibet's economic and social development.
An Auspicious Place
When they came to Tibet in autumn, the sky was blue and clouds white, the colorful sutra streamers were fluttering with the breeze under the bright sunshine, showing an auspicious and tranquil atmosphere. For correspondents coming from Taiwan, east coastal areas and Beijing to cover news in the "Roof of the World" at 4,000 meters above sea level, it was just like "walking over the sky". In the eyes of many Tibetan compatriots, the god exists anywhere and at any time, the concept of animism influences their hearts and penetrates every aspect of social life, creating a mystical and unique cultural atmosphere. The correspondents were greatly impressed by this strong religious atmosphere. In Lhasa, they visited Zuglakang Monastery, Sera Monastery and the Potala Palace; in Xigaze, they visited Bkra-sis Lhum-po Monastery. Everywhere they could see people kowtowing, turning the Buddhist wheels, piously worshipping the Buddha, these people either grazed on the grasslands or were doing farm work in the river valley, but now they indulged themselves in mythology and dreams.
The cross-Straitscorrespondents visited an ordinary farmer household near Gnas-chung Monastery in the suburb of Lhasa, the large carefully arranged scripture hall of the hostess aroused the great interest of everybody. The hostess said that in the past, family religious activity was only an extravagant hope for her. But now she not only has a spacious house, but also a scripture hall. After she gets up every day, the first thing she does is to offer holy water and the first bowl of buttered tea and light the lamp for the niche." While implementing the policy of religious freedom, we exercise management over religious affairs according to law, we absolutely do not allow religion to interfere with politics, administration, judicature and education," said Radi, deputy secretary of the Tibet Autonomous regional Party committee and chairman of the regional people's congress standing committee while granting audience to the cross-Strait correspondents and talking about the question of religion.
Indeed, the deep impression the correspondents got is that in Tibet, citizens' religious freedom is fully respected, normal religious activities and the legal rights and interests of the religious circles are legally protected.
New Atmosphere
Tibet of today cannot do without the disinterested assistance from the people of all nationalities of the country. On the very evening of their arrival in Xigaze, the correspondents unexpectedly saw 46 trucks loaded with relief materials drive into the courtyards of the prefectural Party committee and the administrative office which were greeted by the singing and dancing Tibetan compatriots. These relief materials embodied the profound sibling feelings of the people of all nationalities of China. Many journalists spontaneously joined the masses in participating in the relief material acceptance ceremony. Deeply moved, a Taiwan correspondent said that this reminded her of the devastating earthquake that hit Taiwan last year. By contrast, the disaster-affected Tibetan compatriots were lucky. As the saying goes, "Seeing is believing", through in-depth visits, everybody personally felt that what Xu Mingyang, vice-chairman of the regional standing committee, had indeed expressed the historical and practical realities. That is to say, "Today's new Tibet was built up on the ruins of the feudal serf system featuring the combination of government and religion. A look at the course of the 50 years after Tibet's peaceful liberation in 1951was a great historical process from darkness to brightness, from backwardness to progress and from closure to openness.
In 1926, the 12th Dalai imported several small cars, they were detached into parts in India and reassembled into whole after arriving in Lhasa, these cars, however, could only shuttled between the Norbu Lingka Park and the Potala Palace.When the 13th Dalai pushed through new administration, he also tried to grow tea, open up mines and made preparations for the establishment of a power plant, but all these efforts came to nothing under the decadent and backward feudal serf system. Today, whether in Lhasa, Xigaze or in other cities and towns of Tibet, asphalt-surfaced roads are broad and level on which motor vehicles of various types are shuttling. People are roaming the market leisurely where there are a great variety of goods. The market economy concept, like Tibetan Buddhism, has been accepted by the Tibetan compatriots in general. In old Tibet, there was not a single school in its modern sense. Before the Democratic Reform, there were only several old-type government-run schools and a few family schools or private schools, the serfs at large did not have enough food to eat, not to say opportunity to go to school. Today, there are 3,869 schools of various types at all levels in Tibet, the attendance rate of school-age children has reached over 83 percent. In Tibet University, in the Lhasa Normal School and in other localities of Tibet, students generally study the Tibetan language. Of course, Tibetan people use their own language on various occasions, they can express their own wishes also with the Tibetan language in government organizations. Such a sharp contrast has deeply impressed the Taiwan journalists who came to Tibet for the first time.
Unending Sentiment
Members of the journalist group almost all came to Tibet for the first time, so everybody valued very much this rare opportunity, they encouraged each other in work and took good care of each other in daily life. Whenever some Taiwan correspondents felt unwell or had strong plateau reaction, friends from the mainland of the motherland unhesitatingly lent them a helping hand, cars and personnel were arranged to rush them to the hospital for treatment; when photographers from TV stations were seen shouldering too heavy equipment, other literal reporters and personnel took the initiative to share the burden. For this, staff from the Tibet Autonomous Regional Taiwan Affairs Office and from the Information Office had done a great deal of hard work. Apart from providing the journalist group with all sorts of convenience and serving as interpreters for them, these staff members also provided them various kinds of consulting services. Although this is the first time that they came to Tibet, they felt the warmth of the big family. On the evening of the Moon Festival, Tibetan songs and dances, moon cakes and fresh fruits made everybody forget that they were strangers in a strange land. When talking about their Tibetan tour, correspondents from both sides of the Taiwan Straits all agreed that it was a rare experience in their lives. Miss Zhang from a Taiwan TV station said, "In the past I only had some fragmentary knowledge about Tibet from textbooks and media, it is out of my expectation that I can come to Tibet personally and have acquired such a profound knowledge." It was the same Miss Zhang who spent her birthday in Xiagaze. That day when a big birthday cake, which embodied the sincere benediction from friends of the mainland, suddenly appeared before her, her excited feeling was turned into the repetition of the word, "Thanks!"
The gathering was short, more than a week's time has passed swiftly like flowing water, but the brotherly affection left behind through gathering together from morning to nigh will long remain in their hearts. At the farewell banquet held by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the Chinese Journalists' Association, correspondents from both sides of the Taiwan Straits wished each other take good care of themselves and made an appointment that they would come to continue their unending sentiment in the coming years.
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