Week Four: Exploring Tibetan Culture

Hi guys! My fourth week with Machik was one filled with new adventures in learning about Tibet. First, I continued the research I had started last week in researching domestic violence, legal aid, and human rights abuses in China and Tibet. My research this week covered a wide range of topics, from Tibetan self-immolations in response to Chinese government oppression, the harassment of Chinese defense lawyers through Article 306 of the PRC's criminal code, the expedited execution of Lobsang Dondrub through the legally-questionable xiafang system, and the increased availability of personal protective orders for victims of domestic violence in China. As diverse as all of these topics are, they have helped paint a picture of the legal landscape in China and Tibet.

I also learned more about Tibetan culture in two ways this week. First, I had the opportunity to wear a chuba, the traditional Tibetan robe. Chubas can come in all different materials, colors, and patterns, and Dr. Rabgey was kind enough to give me two of my own to wear, which are made of light fabric perfect for the (admittedly brutal) summer heat. Traditional Tibetan clothing was banned in the early days of Chinese annexation, and while those restrictions are no longer in place, it is still important to preserve this aspect of Tibetan culture, especially because it visibly signifies being Tibetan. There is also a tradition of Tibetans all over the world wearing the chuba on Wednesdays because that is considered a lucky day.

Next, I've explored Tibetan culture outside of my research through watching Tibetan films. In particular, I've been engaging with the work of Pema Tseden, the first ever Tibetan student at the Beijing Film Academy. Tseden was known for making films entirely in Tibetan and using all Tibetan actors as well. His films often portray regular life in Tibet, with subtle political criticism of China. For example, I watched his film Tharlo, which portrays the life of a Tibetan sheep-herder who goes into the big city to get his Chinese-mandated identification card. Once there, he gets swept into a romance with a woman from the city that changes his entire life. While it is an emotional drama, there is also something Kafkaesque about the titular character's struggles under Chinese bureaucracy that attempts to identify, categorize, and ultimately surveil him through his identification card. I also watched The Silent Holy Stones, another Tseden film depicting a young monk's attachment to a TV after returning home from his monastery for the holidays. Both films employ Tseden's signature technique of long, still shots, with few close-ups, instead letting the camera linger on the characters as they walk, run, or merely sit in contemplation.

Finally, the last adventure of the week happened on Thursday, when I went to the Library of Congress to work for the day as well as pick up my Reader's Card. Now that I have my card, I can access any of the many beautiful reading room for research purposes. This is another benefit of living in D.C. and one I plan to take advantage of throughout the summer!

After picking up my card, I decided to check out the Asian Division's Reading Room, which is also where they house their Tibetan collection. The Tibetan collection houses a wide variety of works, ranging from Buddhist and Bon texts and manuscripts, books on Tibetan language, culture, and medicine, and more recent works on modern Tibet and its political and legal systems. It is the largest collection of works on Tibet in the West and has been carefully curated by the Library of Congress. Furthermore, while the Asian Division prioritizes works in the Tibetan language, the Main Reading Room has even more works relating to Tibet in English. I plan on returning so that I can examine the full breadth of the works the Library of Congress has on Tibet (though of course it would take many summers to read all of them!)

That's all for next week! Thanks for reading, and I can't wait to see what adventures next week holds.