Tibet 40 Years Ago!

[Cossie]

After reading Matt's trip report, I started thinking about my own visit there in 1985, we visited the PRC in both 1984 and 1985, although we only got to Tibet in '85.
Interesting times, we met ethnic Tibetans that were living in India and had been encouraged to visit and see if the wanted to return, I'd love to know if they did.
We also met Canadians cycling from Lhasa to Kathmandu, and also met Sorrel Wilby who had just finished her trip and was going to write about it, which she did!

Tibet, a woman's lone trek across a mysterious land / Sorrel Wilby | Catalogue | National Library of Australia

catalogue.nla.gov.au

The thing I noticed most about my photos and Matt's is the seemingly small number of Tibetans now compared to Han Chinese, again, we had spoken to a few Chinese migrants at the time and they had been encouraged to go there with sizeable bonuses.

First and article that I have had for a very long time, no idea where it came from, but makes for interesting reading.
The unorganised tourists sign was where we had to pick up our bags the day after our flight from Chengdu.

 

[Cossie]

Not much in the way of accommodation, there were few "5*" hotels, but being backpackers, they were way too pricey for us,
we stayed at the Snow Land Hotel, quite close to the Jokhang Temple, Tibetan owned and still in business, think it's been updated a bit!



View from our window, there was a riot happening and a shop being broken into!

Potala palace was first on the list the next day, can't put it back at the top.

 

[Cossie]

Summer Palace, I think, about the only regrets I have after all my travels are the fact I didn't have a camera when I left home and didn't keep a diary... Then we went out to a monastery that had been destroyed in 19959. Ganden Monastery Ganden Monastery - Wikipedia

 

[Seat0B]

So interesting @Cossie to see what’s the same and what has changed. You know the saying that the past is a foreign country. Goes double for this TR.