China News Agency, Beijing, February 27th, title:
(East-West Question) Is the real Tibet or the imaginary Shangri-La?
Author Shen Weirong
Since the 1970s, Tibet has been regarded as the Shangri-La of the world in the Western world, synonymous with a utopia.
Tibet is no longer a real and material existence, but a virtual and spiritual world.
Correspondingly, most Westerners' concern and love for Tibet only put their own desires and expectations for an illusory ideal world on Tibet, lacking rational and practical content.
The picture shows a bright moon rising slowly over the Potala Palace.
Photo by Ma Qian
At the end of the 1990s, with the deepening of the criticism of Orientalism and postcolonial culture in Western academic circles, many people began to liquidate the Western view of Tibet under the influence of Orientalism and imperialism, and pointedly pointed out spiritualization and Shangri-La. Tibet is a typical work of Western Orientalism and imperialism. It idealizes traditional Tibet into a pure land of peace, non-violence, green environmental protection, equality between men and women, no exploitation, no oppression, no emphasis on material, and everyone pursuing spiritual freedom and liberation. This is nothing but Orientalist imagination and distortion. Not only is it not related to Tibetan traditions, but it has also profoundly affected the interaction between the world and a real Tibet.
On the surface, there have been countless Tibetan fans who care and love Tibet in the West, but they cannot make any actual contribution to the real Tibet. They are just a group of "Prisoners of Shangri-La" who are firmly bound to their Tibet. Imagination.
Data map: A villager in Nudui Village, Zijin Township, Gyangze County, Xigaze City, Tibet uses a harvester to harvest highland barley.
Photo by China News Agency reporter He Penglei
What is incredible is that when the West is fiercely criticizing the view of Tibet under the influence of Orientalism, a trend of thought that can be called "internal Orientalism" permeates China.
Since the new century, there has been a very eye-catching upsurge of imagining Tibet throughout China.
Shangri-La was originally a utopian pure land created and ruled by Westerners in the East imagined by Western colonialists. It was full of Western imperialism and colonialism, but it was delineated by a realistic geographic location. It is a tourist attraction (spiritual holy land) that the world yearns for.
Gang Rinpoche, Cangyang Gyatso's love songs, etc. have all been sanctified and romanticized, and they have become popular topics among the people of the country, and they have entrusted the feelings of generations.
People also put all their beautiful ideals of the world into their imagination of Tibet. Although Tibet is no longer an inaccessible material existence, people are still happy to bring their own information about Tibet and Tibetan culture. "Background Book" to interpret and accept the Tibet they have come into contact with, they have always had an unrealistic and very romantic feeling for Tibet.
Data map: Visitors walking towards the Potala Palace.
Photo by China News Agency reporter He Penglei
Whether it is Western Orientalism or China's "internal Orientalism", they are not only meaningless to the actual Tibet, but also extremely harmful.
The actual Tibet is naturally beautiful and unique, but it is not the same as the imaginary Tibet of Orientalism. If you insist on comparing the imaginary Tibet and the Shangri-La in the myth with Tibet in reality, Naturally, it is impossible to have a one-to-one correspondence, on the contrary, it is more often different, because the two are originally not related.
The direct experience and in-depth understanding of the real Tibet was originally the best way to help people get rid of all myths about Tibet and Shangri-La. However, people’s fanatical pursuit of their own ideals, love and obsession with imaginary utopias often Obstructing their communication with the real world, they may be blind, unable to see the real world in front of them, still cling to their ideal pursuits, and continue to be "Prisoners of Shangri-La" without realizing them; The ideals were shattered and frustrated and disappointed to the point where they could not help themselves, and embarked on a path of fierce criticism and even distortion of the reality of Tibet.
For example, since the end of the last century, there have been some works in the Western media criticizing Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhist monks fiercely but not rationally. Their authors seem to have been very enthusiastic followers of Tibetan Buddhism. Obviously The Tibetan Buddhist masters they came into contact with and the teachings they taught did not satisfy their imagination and expectations for Tibetan Buddhist beliefs and practices. They disillusioned and embarked on another extreme path to teach Tibetans. Buddhism has had a very negative impact.
Data map: After the Tashilhunpo Temple god dance activity, the monks threw the highland barley in the "Chema" box in turn to pray for blessings.
Photo by China News Agency reporter He Penglei
It is undeniable that the "Tibet fever" that began in the 1980s has given Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism an unprecedented influence in the world.
But this kind of influence is based on people's imagination of a virtual and spiritual Tibet. It does not bring real benefits to Tibet in reality. On the contrary, it often causes confusion and unsolvable problems. The problem.
The crux of the so-called "Tibet issue" depends to a large extent on whether people can find a way out between "imaginary Tibet" and "real Tibet". On the one hand, it must completely break the myth of Shangri-La, and on the other hand, it must be reality. The development of Tibet has designed a grand blueprint that not only meets the ideal of realizing the "Chinese Dream", but also meets the special requirements of Tibet's natural, economic and human development.
The "Hometown of Glaciers" Bomi, Tibet has a magnificent scenery.
Photo by He Penglei
Over the past few decades, Western society’s demands for Tibet are undoubtedly to realize their reconstruction of a utopian traditional Tibet, and want to realize their post-modern ideal in a Tibet that is still progressing on the road of modernization. , This is obviously an impossible mission.
It is worth emphasizing that the Western concern for the "Tibet issue" has a strong folk cultural foundation for a long time, and it can be said that it is a direct result of the surging "Tibet fever" in the West.
In the past, their most concerned and radical criticisms of Tibet focused on the protection of the natural environment of Tibet and the continuation of Tibetan traditional culture based on Tibetan Buddhism. This in itself reflects the very severe nature faced by the Western postmodern society. Environmental protection and the continuation of traditional culture.
Fortunately, in the past few decades, China’s Tibet has achieved excellent results in both natural environmental protection and the continuation and development of Tibetan Buddhist culture. While working hard to promote the economic development of Tibet, we have Enough attention has been paid to the protection of Tibet's natural environment, making Tibet today the best place for natural environmental protection in all provinces and regions in China.
Tibetan Buddhism has also experienced an unprecedented "Renaissance" movement in the past few decades. The reconstruction and construction of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries have reached a level that has never been seen before in history. The discovery, sorting and analysis of Tibetan Buddhist documents Publishing is also an unprecedented event, and the beliefs and practices of Tibetan Buddhism have also gone out of Tibet and spread all over China.
Obviously, strengthening natural environmental protection in Tibet and maintaining the continuation of Tibetan Buddhist culture have become an integral part of the realization of the "Chinese Dream" ideal in the new era of China. It is hard to be convincing to criticize China's Tibet for lack of practical evidence based on these two points.
It is quite regrettable that even though people have been committed to breaking the myth of Shangri-La more than 20 years ago, more and more people are still "prisoners of Shangri-La" today.
Although the myth has been shattered, they do not want to wake up.
In the past, the “Tibet fever” in the West was more of a non-governmental spontaneous social and cultural movement, but today, when the “Tibet fever” is fading away, the “Tibet issue” that is discussed again has clearly become a deliberate political manipulation. , Using the aftermath of the "Tibet fever" that once prevailed around the world to set off various political disturbances that suppressed China.
Of course, such political operations have nothing to do with the protection of Tibet's natural environment and the maintenance of Tibetan Buddhism, and it is not conducive to the healthy development of Tibet in reality.
Data map: Villagers in Xierong Village, Caina Township, Qushui County, Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region respected the barley wine at the spring ploughing ceremony.
According to tradition, local villagers dressed in festive costumes and held grand ceremonies to pray for a good harvest in the year.
Photo by China News Agency reporter He Penglei
However, the internal Orientalist imagination of Tibet that has emerged in China in the past two decades can be described as harmful and not beneficial to the Chinese national community that we advocate today.
Tibet is first of all a reality. It is not the spiritual home we dream of. The progress and development of Tibet’s reality, including the protection of Tibet’s natural environment and the continuation of Tibetan Buddhist culture, require us to make very smart and hard work. Tibet The people's yearning for a better life, including their satisfaction with material interests and spiritual pursuits, requires our joint efforts to achieve.
The spiritualization and idealization of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism will not help us to effectively build Tibet and realize the ideal of the "Chinese Dream" in Tibet, while the exoticization of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism will strengthen the Chinese nation with us. The goal of the community runs counter to.
The picture shows Ding Zhen taking a photo in the Cangyang Gyatso Miniature Museum in Letong Ancient Town, Litang.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Liu Zhongjun
In recent months, Litang’s Tibetan brother Ding Zhen has become a popular Internet celebrity across the country. The image of Ding Zhen and people’s discussions about Ding Zhen’s phenomenon have made me shine and let me see a new idea, The dawn of a new trend.
I think it’s time for us to transcend Orientalism or internal Orientalism. We should get rid of the fog imposed on Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism, and regard Tibetan compatriots as natural, equal, and indiscriminate. Our brothers and sisters, who share weal and woe, regard everything that happens in Tibet as a matter of our own life and death, we share our honor and disgrace, and the beauty of Tibet and the Tibetans is the beauty of our Chinese nation, the whole world, and all mankind. No longer imagine and entrust our insatiable ideals and pursuits in Tibet and Tibetan compatriots.
We should not put the label of Tibetan and Tibetan culture on Ding Zhen first. The sunshine, simplicity, nature and handsomeness represented by Ding Zhen are loved and yearned by all Chinese and people all over the world. It should belong to the whole of China, The whole world and all mankind.
Tibet is a treasure of China, it is also a treasure of the whole world and all mankind.
(End) (The author is the professor of Renmin University of China, the director of the Institute of Western Regions History and Language, and the director of the Sino-Tibetan Buddhist Research Center)