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Tibetan, one of the 55 minority nationalities in
China, is mainly scattered in the Tibet Autonomous Region
and Tibetan autonomous prefectures in Qinghai, Sichuan and
Gansu provinces.
Tibet has a Tibetan population of
2.41 million, making up 92 percent of its total population.
Tibetans call themselves "Boba", which means
farming group. Tibet got its present name during the reign
of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty.
The
region was liberated peacefully in 1951, and the feudal-
slave system was ended through a course of democratic
reforms in 1959. The Tibet Autonomous Region was founded in
1965. Twelve autonomous prefectures and counties have been
set up since then.
Tibetans have their own
language and written characters. The heyday of the Tibetan
culture lasted from the 10th to 16th century. The epic
portraying the legendary hero Gesser is considered the
longest epic in the world. Tibetan drama fully reflects its
national flavor.
The Potala Palace in Lhasa,
the regional capital, is the architectural complex at the
highest elevation on earth. Tibetan medicine is an important
part of the Chinese medical system. Tibetans believe in
Mahayana, which absorbs the rite of local Buddhists. The
regional economy is characterized by animal husbandry and
agriculture.
(Xinhua)
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