Kathmandu Protests
Protesters gathered in Kathmandu's iconic Tibetan monastery, Bouddhanath, to mark the death of their countrymen in Tibet during the 2008 riots.
Nepal. 2009/03/14.
Kathmandu Protests
Tibetan protesters shouted anti-Chinese slogans and demanded a "Free Tibet" at Boudha in Kathmandu, Nepal.
2009/03/10.
Failed Crossing
Tibetan refugees from Kathmandu were arrested by Nepalese police as they tried to cross the Nepal-Tibet border in protest of 2008 killings and detentions in Chinese-controlled Tibet.
2009/06/26.
Failed Crossing
Tibetan refugees from Kathmandu were arrested by Nepalese police as they tried to cross the Nepal-Tibet border in protest of 2008 killings and detentions in Chinese-controlled Tibet.
2009/06/26.
Memorial Prayers
Hundreds of Tibetan refugees thronged the Samtenling monastery in Kathmandu, where memorial prayers were held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the failed Tibetan uprising in 1959.
Nepal. 2009/03/10.
Distant Victory
A young lama carries the portrait of the 14th Dalai Lama during the Buddhist festival of Chotrul Duchen - commemorating Buddha's victory over his rivals in a mystical contest.
Nepal. 2009/03/11.
Distant victory
A Tibetan woman hurls barley flour into the air as the revellers shouted "Bhoud Gyallo", translated to "victory for Tibet". Hundreds of Tibetan refugees gathered at Boudha monastery to celebrate the 74th birthday of His Holiness Dalai Lama.
Katmandu, Nepal. 2009/07/06.
Tradition
Tseten Phentsok, 45, dons a traditional garb to mark the 74th birthday of Tibetan spiritual leader the 14th Dalai Lama, in Kathmandu, Nepal. 2009/07/06.
Carpet Weaver
Tibetan refugees face obstacles when looking for jobs in their host countries, and many, especially womenfolk, rely on traditional crafts such as carpet weaving for livelihood. Income from this carpet factory in Kathmandu feeds about 400 refugees.
Kathmandu, Nepal. 2009/03/09.
After the carpet industry in Nepal caved in during the late 80s, Tibetan refugees who depended on carpet weaving for income, suddenly found themselves with no jobs. Refugees in the sprawling Jampaling Tibetan Refugee Camp have now become farmers. Pokhara, Nepal. 2009/03/27.
Refugee Physician
Dr Thinley Yonten, 36, an ayurvedic physician takes the pulse of a patient. In 1995, a young farmer with little education escaped from Chinese-controlled Tibet and trekked hundreds of miles across the snowy borders into India. Today, Thinley serves in the refugee settlements in Pokhara, Nepal.
Jangchup
Jangchup, 29, accountant at the dispensary in Pokhara. Jangchup, who goes by a single name, was born in Lhasa, Tibet. At 7, he followed his aunty and uncle on a 20-day journey out of Tibet.
I Love This Game
A basketball court in Tashi Ling Tibetan refugee camp.
Pokhara, Nepal. 2009/03/24.
LIving Rooms
“When I was a kid, we had mud houses that leaked water during the rain. Then we got tin roofs. Then one Dutchman came and helped us build cement roofs.”
“Most of the time, we ask if Tibet is lost forever. It’s a big question mark.”
- Ngawang Choether, 29
Living Rooms
Tsering Wangdu, 28, his wife Sonam, 29, and his daughter Tenzin Dechen, 13 months, in their 3m x 4m flat in Pajor Ling camp. As the populations grow in the refugee settlements, space has become an issue for new Tibetan families.
Pokhara, Nepal. 2009/03/25.
Living Rooms
Living Rooms
Phuntsok, 66, former freedom fighter and his wife Sonam Lhamo, 54, refugees at Pajor Ling Tibetan Refugee Camp in Pokhara, Nepal. Both used to work in the carpet factory to raise their three sons.
Farmers
"In Tibet, there were no machines. We used animals to plough the field. During harvest, we would lay the barley on the ground and let the yak run over them... The life in Tibet was much better. It's our own land and we do what we wish." - Sherap Sangpo, 55.
Dongchen
Tibetan lama Ngwang Jinpa, 22, blows the dongchen, or "big horn", which measures about 3 metres, at the Pematsal Sakya Monastic Institute. Dongchens are blown in religious ceremonies, dances and also to welcome high lamas into monasteries. Nepal. 2009/03/26.
Pop Culture
Posters of a Tibetan musician plastered on the walls of Samyeling Tibetan Settlement, Majnu-ka Tilla.
New Delhi .India. 2009/10/14.
Preserving culture
Young Tibetan artistes keep the Tibetan culture alive in exile by perfecting song and dance in the Tibetan Cultural Academy in Dharamsala.
India. 2009/10/23.
Diwali
Children in the town square set off sparklers during the eve of Diwali, a traditionally Hindu festival. Younger generations of Tibetans have adopted to their host cultures, but continue to find themselves strangers in foreign lands.
India. 2009/10/16.
“Only the old people pray here because the young people are trying to make a living. It’s hard these days. Four months we would work and eight months we would sleep. Every year, the business is going down, down, down. The tourists nowadays only have money to eat and sleep. The retirees who have lots of money to spend are not coming.” - Mr Tashi,
Nepal. 2009/03/26.
Health Advisory
Tibetans who fled to Nepal had to cope with many differences, including climate and diet. Meat-eating Tibetans are suddenly confronted with rice and greens, and many first generation refugees could not get used to vegetables. The drawings in the clinic in Jampaling Tibetan Refugee Camp gives sound advice against an unbalanced diet.
Nepal. 2009/03/27.
Preserving culture
First-year artiste Sangyal, 23, teaches basics of "tenchin" - an instrument traditonally played by men - to fellow student Tsering Donker, 20.
Dharamsala, India, 2009/10/22.
Old guard
Chime Phuntsok, 84, former bodyguard to the Dalai Lama and a leader in the Chushi Gandruk guerilla forces, holds an old photo that depicts the Dalai Lama during his escape to India in 1959.
Pokhara, Nepal. 2009/03/27.
Old guard
Chime Phuntsok, 84, former bodyguard to the Dalai Lama and a leader in the Chushi Gandruk guerilla forces, speaks with a young Tibetan in his home in Jampaling Tibetan Refugee Camp.
Pokhara, Nepal. 2009/03/27.
Wool
Half a kilogram of spun wool can fetch 40 Nepalese rupees (US$0.46), but it takes an entire day to spin. Survival is a everyday struggle for Tibetans in Nepal - where already 40 percent of people are unemployed. Of the 130 households in Jampaling Tibetan Refugee Camp, almost everyone spins wool for a living.
Nepal. 2009/03/27.
Dharamsala
A newly arrived Tibetan refugee having his congee at Dharamsala, or "resthouse". It is commonly known as the "transit centre", where new arrivals await arrangements for education, housing and employment, by the Dalai Lama's government-in-exile. More than 180,000 Tibetans live in exile outside Tibet, 50 years after the failed uprising of 1959.
Dharamsala, India. 2009/10/24.
Third Gen
Tenzin Ngawang, 7 months old, represents a third generation of Tibetan refugees born in Nepal. His motherwas born in the same Jampaling Tibetan Refugee Camp, while his grandmother was only 15 years old when she fled Tibet.
Pokhara, Nepal. 2009/03/27.
Clinic in Exile
A clinic inside the Samyeling Tibetan Settlement, Majnu-ka Tilla, New Delhi, India. India. 2009/10/15.
His Holiness
The 14th Dalai Lama circles the Tsuglakhang Complex, completing a korma (ritual circle) before starting a three-day address to Buddhist devotees from Southeast Asia in Dharamsala.
India, 2009/10/20.
Tuning in
An old Tibetan devotee tunes in to the translation of the Dalai Lama's teachings - in a rare occasion in which the spiritual leader addressed entirely in English. The 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso addressed a 2000-strong international crowd including Southeast Asians, Taiwanese, Koreans, Romanians, Italians, French, amongst others, during a three-day lecture in his residence in Dharamsala, India. 2009/10/20.
Distant victory
The Buddhist festival of Chotrul Duchen - celebrates Buddha's victory over his rivals. It is said that Buddha displayed a different miracle on each of the fifteen days, and inspired many to embrace his teachings.
Nepal. 2009/03/11.
Teaching the young
A student of the Tibetan Children's Village dons traditional Tibetan costume during the celebration of the school's 50th anniversary. After fleeing Lhasa more than 50 years ago, the 14th Dalai Lama made it his top priority to set up a school for the exiles, in order to preserve their culture and tradition.
Dharamsala, India, 2009/10/23.
Unity
Students perform in formation to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Tibetan Children's Village. India. 2009/10/23.
Tibetan refugees were taken into custody after attempting to cross the Nepal-China border to protest against the 2008 suppression of riots in Tibet.
Resistance
Youth from the Tibetan exile community put up a cultural show in the settlement of Majnu-ka Tilla, New Delhi, to canvas for money to fund their drive for independence. Social activism among the exiled youths remains strong, even though generations have grown up in exile.
New Delhi, India. 2009/10/25.