How you ever  thought about a visit to Tibet? Tibet is a country that many have heard of, but most don't know much about. Tibet is a land of contrasts and its history is both fascinating, and tragic, at the same time.

The history of Tibet is very long and complicated and beyond the scope of this article. The intent here is to provide a "taste of Tibet" so to speak, for those interested in learning more about Tibet, or considering a visit to Tibet.

• Tibet is the highest nation on eath. Its average elevation is a whopping 14,000 - 16,000 ft. For this reason, Tibet is sometimes referred to as the "Roof of the Earth".
  
• The people of Tibet are primarily Buddhist and have been for thousands of years.
• Although snow lions are purely mythological creatures, it is said they once existed deep in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet. The Tibetans call Snow Lions "Seng-Kyi". Lhasa Apso dogs are also called by this name because of the resemblance between the Lhasa Apso and the Snow Lion.
• The economy of Tibet is dominated by subsistence agriculture.
  
• The people of Tibet speak a kind of Tibeto-Burman language with many regional dialects. Despite the regional dialects, the written language is consistent throughout the entire country.

• The local drink is yak-butter-tea.

• Tibet is the world's third largest producer of rice. Rice fields are found is most of the plateau regions of Tibet. Unfortunately, global warming is causing accelerated melting of the glaciers in Tibet. While this means plenty of water will be available for the short term, the longer term implications are much more serious. The glaciers are a vital lifeline to major rivers in Asia, including the Ganges. Without the glaciers, water supplies in Tibet will be in peril.

• The average annual income for a yak herder (typical "job") is about $300.

• According to Save Tibet, the people of Tibet are denied most human rights, including the rights to self-determination, freedom of speech, assembly, movement, expression, and travel. The Chinese government counters these claims with the argument that the situation for the people of Tibet has greatly improved since the government takeover by the Chinese.
  

• The city of Lhasa is considered to be the capital of Tibet and is by far the most populated city.

• The population of Tibet is around 5,000,000.

People travel to Tibet to see the incredible monasteries, experience the Himalayas, to trek and hike, and of course to encounter some of friendliest people on earth.

Visitors from China make up 93% of all travelers to Tibet. Tourism is becoming increasingly popular and is actively promoted by the government. This does not mean a visit to Tibet will be an easy feat. In fact, it can be quite time consuming and difficult logistically if one is interested in the areas outside of Lhasa. Tibet is not a "touristy" country and although things are changing, it still lacks the basic infrastructure of more developed countries. Public transportation is extremely limited, though with some tenacity, the traveler can usually get from point "a" to point "b". Taxis are more plentiful and a better option for most.

Weather wise, there is not really a "best" time to visit Tibet. Despite what most people think, there really is not that much snow in Tibet, except in the mountains or very high elevations. Like anywhere else, there will be less tourists in the winter months.

Tibet is economical compared to some other Asian destinations. Accommodations can be found in most price ranges within Lhasa. In the outlying areas, prices will be very inexpensive, but expect basic accommodations. The major expense will likely be transportation costs. Getting to Tibet is not too difficult. There are flights from Chengdu and trains from Xining, China.

With careful research, an experienced traveler can plan a trip to Tibet. However, there are tourist agencies available who will arrange all the details and paperwork. Some agencies even offer organized tours.

Entry requirements to Tibet vary depending on the traveler's country of origin.

Souvenirs to bring home from Tibet are rugs and carpets, hats, gold and silver jewely, clothing, quilts, and wooden items.

The building and architecture most emblamatic of Tibet is the Potala Palace. The Palace is named after Mount Potala and is perched on Marpo Ri hill above the Lhasa valley. Construction on the Potala Palace was started in the year 1645 during the reign of the 5th Dalai Lama. This former residence of the Dalai Llama stands 117 meters in height and 360 meters in wide. Over 7,000 workers and 1500 craftsmen worked on the construction of the Potala Palace.

The Palace contains over 1,000 rooms within 13 stories. The Palace is divided between the White Palace and the Red Palace. The White Palace contains all the administrative areas. The Red Palace contains the assembly hall of the Lamas, chapels, 10,000 shrines, and a vast library of Buddhist scriptures.

Fortunately, the Potala Palace sustained only minor damage during the Chinese invasion. It is currently a museum and is a UNESCO Wold Heritage Site.

The national flag of Tibet is very interesting and there is a great deal of symbolism in the flag.

The white triangle in the center of the flag represents a snowy mountain which symbolizes the nation of Tibet.

The six red rays seemingly coming out from the mountain, are representative of the six original groups, or tribes, of people in Tibet: Se, Mu, Dong, Tong, Dru and Ra. The blue colored rays represent the sky. The red and blue rays alternate in a representation of two deities guarding the spiritual and secular worlds of Tibet.The sun and its rays represent the people of Tibet and the light of the people, their material and spiritual prosperity and happiness.

The snow lions symbolize victory by the deeds of the combined spiritual and secular ruling governments.

The three colored gems represent the three precious gems - or, objects of refuge. The two snow lions are holding the jewels to show observance and traditions of self-morality in accordance with the ten divine virtuous actions and the sixteen human moral rules.

Lastly, the yellow border represents the flourishing and increase of the Buddha's teachings. These teachings are like pure gold throughout limitless directions and time.

The Tibetan flag was introduced by the 13th Dalai Llama and outlawed by the Chinese government in 1959.

Religion and spirituality is of great importance to the people of Tibet. This spirituality influcences the people in every activity of their lives and is deeply ingrained in the culture of Tibet. Bön is the ancient traditional religion of Tibet but has became eclipsed by Tibetan Buddhism, a distinct form of Vajrayana. At one point, there were over 6,000 monasteries in Tibet but now only a handful remain after most were destroyed by the Chinese.

Tibetan Buddhism has four main traditions consisting of the Way of Virtue, Oral Lineage, Ancient Ones, and Grey Earth.

Muslims and Christians can also be found in Tibet, although their numbers are quite small compared to the number of Tibetan Buddhists.

Although critics will say that traveling to Tibet is basically putting money into the hands of the Chinese oppressors, the Dalai Lama has countered, saying that it is important that people visit Tibet and then tell the world what they have seen. It is up to you to decide if a visit to Tibet is one you wish to undertake.

If you do decide to visit Tibet, I would definitely recommend taking some time to read about about this fascinating country before your visit. Understanding the history and issues of Tibet is paramount to getting the most from any visit. There are many organizations and resources, both online and off, which offer insight into the plight of the people of Tibet.

One things is for sure, if you do decide to go, you will never forget your visit to Tibet.