Seeking ShangriLa :: Photos :: Tibet

Though on most maps, historical (and now disputed Tibet) ends at the end of famed plateau, the Tibetan people also spread further to the East and North. In the East, the area known as Kham (see snaps) nurtured its own culture and dialect, distinct from the Lhasa standard. Even today, the Khampas are distinct: wilder, cowboy types as opposed to Lhasa's monastic bent.

In the North too, the people are distinct -- Amdo is over 1000 miles away from Lhasa. Still mostly mountainous and durn high, Amdo is the birthplace of the current Dalai Lama. One of the most famous monasteries outside Lhasa, Labrang is here as well. Shots from Tongren and Xiahe.

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