Tibet is also the center of Buddhism. Many of the main features of Tibetan Buddhism comes from the ancient Tibetan religion called Bon. We can say that they are the most religious people in the world. Religion in traditional Tibetan life is not a matter of occasional ritual observances and acceptance of a particular code of belief and behaviour. For all their recorded history, religion has been an integral part of the Tibetans everyday life. For centuries this land had been shrouded in secrecy, forbidden to foreigners. But now the Roof of the world is open, with its religious treasures and overwhelming landscapes.

It is the destination for the ultimate thrill seeker and KATHMANDU IS NO DOUBT, THE NATURAL GATEWAY TO THIS AMAZING LAND.

TIBET IN BRIEF AREA: 1.2 million sq km. POPULATION: 2.44 million (1996 census)

PEOPLE: Khampas, Lhoba and Moinba

CAPITAL: Lhasa

GEOGRAPHY: The Tibetan plateau is one of the most isolated regions in the universe. It shares the border with India, Bhutan, Nepal and Myanmar. Much of Tibet is a harsh and uncompromising landscape best described as a high-altitude desert. Little of the Indian monsoon makes it over the Himalayan watershed and shifting sand dunes are a common sight along the Samye Valley and the road to Kailash.

LANGUAGE: Tibetan

RELIGION: Buddhism - Tibetan people are called the most religious people in the world

TIME: 08 hrs. ahead of GMT

CLIMATE: Tibet is cold in winter, cool in summer and generally dry, receiving only 45 cm. (18 inches) of rain or snow annually. Spring, early summer and late autumn are probably the best times to be in Tibet.

HISTORY: Not much is known of the beginnings of the Tibetan people. It is believed that they originated from the nomadic, warlike tribes known as Qiang. Early in China’s Tang Dynasty (7th to 10th centuries AD), more civilised forms of contacts between the two countries were adopted. Tibet’s most famous king, Srongtsen Gampo, married a Chinese princess, Wen Cheng, who helped introduce Buddhism, as did his other foreign wife, a Nepalese named Bhrikuti. Tibet ’s isolation from all but a few intrepid travellers continued until 1951, when the victorious People’s Liberation Army of the Chinese Communists reached until Dalai lama the spiritual ruler of Tibet fled to India in 1959, where he resides to this day. Till today Tibet has remained an autonomous part of China.