The Yarlung Valley around Lhasa is the cradle of Tibetan civilisation, at least traced back to the 2nd century BC. Buddhism made its formal entry in the 'Land of Snows' in the 7th century AD under the impulse of King Songsten Gampo, also the founder of the unified Tibetan Empire which remained a source of serious headache for the Chinese Tang rulers as well as for the rulers of Northern India, Bengal and Afghanistan for the next 200 years! By the mid 9th century, though, Tibetan dominance belonged to the past. From then on Tibet mainly knew prolonged periods of Chinese or Mongol domination, but also periods of de facto independence whenever Chinese authority was in decline. Between the fall of the Chinese Qing dynasty in 1911 and the 1951 invasion of the Chinese People's Army, Tibet enjoyed such a period of de facto independence. Since 1951, Tibet has been forcefully annexed by China, and its main leader, the Dalai Lama, has been living in exile in India since 1959, the Tibetan Uprising, violently crushed by Beijing.

So much for history.

On a circuit of about 1,500 kilometres from Lhasa to Mount Everest and back, we passed by two cement factories and a few valleys where barley was being grown. The stalls of the popular markets in Lhasa, Gyantsé and Shigatsé sell local yak butter, yak leatherware and yak meat; most other items are 'imported' from main China. It's only a humble impression, but Tibet's GDP is probably not particularly impressive. What is all the more impressive, on the other hand, is the intensity of Buddhist devotion of the Tibetan people, young and old, women and men, rich and poor, nationwide. Consequently, exploring Tibet is for a good deal tantamount to the discovery of Tibetan monastic ceremonies and traditions, prayer wheels and prayer flags, the iconic architecture of monasteries, stupas and dzong fortresses, mostly dating from the same period, between the 11th and 14th centuries. But the absolute highlight comes from nature, not from mankind: Mount Everest, magnificently towering above the other peaks of the Himalayan mountain range. Observing the 8,848 metres tall peak from the Tibetan north flank base camp is the next best option after climbing the mountain. So, I suggest, if you are not really into demanding mountaineering at nearly 9 kilometres of elevation, you are fine where you are right now, in your seat in front of your PC: sit back and enjoy the Everest and anything else in Tibet by browsing through this digital page.