A monk from the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Xigaze of Tibet works on a colourful sandy mandala at the Capital Museum in Beijing.

Despite the noise from the curious and excited crowd, the three young monks from Tashilhunpo Monastery in Xigaze of the Tibet Autonomous Region were careful not to misplace any grain of colourful sand.

Bent over a yellow wooden board about 1 square metre in size, they were scrubbing a file-like bronze instrument on the sawtooth of another bronze container to send refined sand trickling from the container's pointed mouth onto the board.


A white conch, two fish and other auspicious symbols appeared in the eight pedals surrounding a central circle in white, black, blue, red, yellow and green.


"They have been working on the sandy mandala for two days," said Dekyi Pedron, a Tibetan-language broadcaster with Central People's Radio, on Tuesday afternoon at the Capital Museum soon after the Tibetan Culture Exhibition's opening ceremony in Beijing.


"When the work is finished in another two days, they will pray and then mix the sand before sweeping it away," explained Pedron, who acts as a guide at the exhibition. "This is an important ceremony to show the philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism."


Although the monks will finish their sandy mandala in just a few days, visitors can still watch Tibetan painters working on traditional tangka paintings and admire more than 200 precious cultural relics and 300 pictures at the show, which will run through October 22 at the newly opened Capital Museum on Chang'an Avenue.


"This is a wonderful exhibition. More such exhibitions should be held about Tibet," said Stanley E. Henning in fluent Chinese at the exhibition.


The US veteran has been learning Chinese and martial arts for over 30 years, and taught literature for a year in Southwest China's Yunnan Province. Although he hasn't been to Tibet, Henning has read much about it and longs to see the temples which "best capture the Tibetan cultural essence."


Changes inevitable
While visitors are enchanted by the exhibition, some 120 experts have discussed urgent issues facing Tibetan culture at the two-day China Tibetan Culture Forum sponsored by the China Association for Preservation and Development of Tibetan Culture.


At the forum, which began on Tuesday morning, guests from all over the world talked about the changes brought by development and measures for preservation.


Tsewang Jigme, president of the Tibetan Academy of Social Sciences, noted that changes are taking place in every aspect of Tibetans' lives. On weddings, people still wear Tibetan costumes, offer hada, sing and dance. But modern elements such as Western wedding garments, beer and pop songs are becoming fashionable.


In the 1990s, the Ethnic Publishing House included thousands of terms in a 390-page "Dictionary of Tibetan Words of Respect." But the researcher noted that few young Tibetans still use such eloquent terms.


"While the increasing number of tourists brings economic benefits to Tibet, the Tibetan traditions which maintain harmonious relationships between man and nature, man and society and between different people must be carried on," said Jigme.


Melvyn C. Goldstein, professor of Case West Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, has been to Tibet many times over the past two decades. In recent trips, he noted the use of motorcycles and trucks and herders have settled down in brick houses.


"This is something that the locals have found useful for their lives. In September, the herders still live in tents as they herd cattle on pastures," said Goldstein. "I found their culture has changed a great deal, but it's changed as the people themselves chose to do so."


Lai Shianglung, a former senior official for the Social and Economic Affairs Office of the United Nations, raised the concept of "cultural liberty," which means that people should have the right to select their own cultural expressions as globalization picks up speed.


"Different cultures have the equal right to impact people's lives, and eradicating poverty is the key to protecting and developing culture," said Lai.


Dr Charles Ramble of Oxford University first went to the Tibet Autonomous Region in 1985, and has found evidence of prosperity for everyone while noting more cultural practices.


There are more monks in temples; people are making pilgrimages more freely, Tibetan Opera troupes are flourishing, and village events such as the harvest ceremony or horse racing are seen everywhere, said Ramble, president of the International Seminar for Tibetan Studies.
"Economic development does not always turn people against tradition, which is not necessarily conservative," said Ramble, who has specialized in the Bon religion and has learnt several Tibetan dialects through 15 years of living in Nepal and extensive contacts with Tibetan farmers and herders.


When people become rich, occasionally they lose touch with their own culture; when people are poor, they might think adopting other cultures could benefit their lives.


But "as long as the economy keeps on improving and the Tibetan language is preserved, the Tibetans will have confidence in their own culture," he said.


Cultural gateway


Ravi Bhoothalingam, editor of the World Affairs of India and chairman of Nanas Advisory in India, has long cherished a dream,


Trade between China and India began some 2,000 years ago via the mountain passes along the mighty Himalayas. Ancient pioneers like Xuanzang and Padmasambhava conveyed knowledge and ideas through unimaginable hardships.


"I hope that the future will be just like the past: People can enjoy free exchange of culture and friendship without formalities," said Bhoothalingam, who is very interested in developing "cultural tourism" in Tibet.


"Tibet is like no other place in the world; its physical and cultural environment is what people want to see. So a delicate balance must be maintained between development and preservation," Bhoothalingam said.


In the past few years, Annie S. C. Wu has been to Tibet 26 times as the Executive Chairman of Hong Kong World Trade Centres Association. She has found Tibet to be the "Shangri-La" described by James Hilton in "The Lost Horizon."


But Wu is dismayed that many outsiders misunderstand the real situation of Tibet.
To correct this, she has been working very hard. In 1999, she organized a concert in Lhasa featuring Hong Kong pop star Andy Lau, American-based pianist Kong Xiangdong, young Tibetan singer Nyima Phuntso and other artists. Last year, she held an exhibition of 123 Tibetan cultural relics in Sacramento, California.


Wu pointed out that the centuries-old folk houses at the Barkor Bazaar need protection just as urgently as the Jokhang Monastery inside the bazaar. She is working to build a model base combining environmental protection and tourism development in the suburbs of Lhasa.
"Tibet must not sacrifice its unique scenery for economic gains. Renovation is needed for tourism schemes like the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway," said Wu.


Path to enlightenment
"Brilliant!" exclaimed Lama Gangchen after watching the sandy mandala at the exhibition. The founder of Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation, an NGO based in Italy and accreditation from the United Nations, commented that the exhibition is "the best investment because a cultural exhibition could bring peace to people's mind and help lead to world peace."


In 1963, Lama Gangchen left Tibet to promote Buddhism in the world. In 1987, the 10th Panchen Lama invited him home and he has rebuilt the Kangchen Chosphel Lin Monastery near Xigaze, originally founded in the 15th century. He has also funded some schools and hospitals in Tibet.


Sunny Kuo, a Chinese-American who runs an electronics company in Shenzhen of South China's Guangdong Province, first met Lama Kangchen at a grand ceremony at the Tashilhunpo Monastery presided over by the 11th Panchen Lama in 2002.
"The Panchen was only 12 and he was carrying on the religious lineage with such charisma. I was lost in the resonating chanting of the lamas," said Guo, who made a documentary of the ceremony entitled "Dharma and Heritage." When he showed it at the UN and other places, "many people were moved to tears."


Kuo has followed Lama Kangchen ever since. They are now promoting the idea of "Peace Media," aiming to spread spiritual peace to the chaotic world.


"Many people come to Tibet in search of something they've lost," wrote Lama Gangchen in the thesis for the forum. "Like the Buddha who lived 2,500 years ago, we are still asking: Where is the path toward enlightenment?"


"We may have found a path: Tibetan Buddhism, which has kept the religious essence alive through the efforts of numerous monks in beautiful monasteries."