Read 'Sky Burial' by Xinran I've just finished reading the non-fiction novel 'Sky Burial' by Xinran and would recommend it to anyone who has found this discussion on sky burials interesting (or infuriating, or whatever). Xinran introduces the reader to Tibetan culture in a very personal and accessible way, and sky burial is central to the story she shares. I got the book from Amazon.
To Kirra I know all about the suffering in Tibet, and if you read some of my other blogs from Tibet you will see that I did tag them under Tibet and not under China, and I also mentioned the suffering and the harsh history of the place.
This specific event, though, took place in mainland China and not in Tibet. It was practiced by Tibetans that live in China.
FREE TIBET As the Tibetans have suffered under chinese rule and invasion, would you consider changing the title to "Tibetan sky burial in TIBET" and change the flag to the TIBETAN FLAG? - it is off topic, but do you know that Tibetans are imprisoned and often tortured if caught with a photo of the His Holiness the Dalai Lama?
I'd like to be "buried" this way I think this is really a great, eco-sensitive way of getting "back to the Earth". I'd much rather be taken care of this way than to have my remains rot in a box or be burned to a cinder.
my thoughts Tashi delek!! a few days ago 3 Jokhang Monks took me to witness a sky burial at Drigung Monastery.... As Buddhists give everything, a sky burial is a last offering of ones self, giving their body for food, I think it is similar to donating your organs/body parts to save lives...
Tibetans believe you remain in the body for 3 days after death, and then you are completely gone..
Similar to us humans sitting around a big plate of meat really... think about it..
thanks for sharing your story and pics
have some fucking respect I know you've had a lot of comments, and I never write comments in blogs but I feel the need to tell you how ashamed I am in some so-called travellers like you. Most of my resentment of this blog has been expressed by others. I especially agree with Anna, who asked if you have had a family member die. Immagine if at your cousin's/father's/ sister's funeral some "accomplished traveler" comes by, asks someone besides you if they could take pictures (and they say yes because they are feeling vulnerable), and then procedes to pose infront of your deceased family member. And the fact that you were LOOKING for this, it seems that you didnt want to learn about it, but just take pictures so you can boast in your blog how cultured you are! I'd like to learn about funerals too. Let me know when your aunt dies, I'd like to post it on my blog along with pictures...
Great, after 11 years I visited Xiahe, too, in 1996. It was a magical experience. The bus ride was terrifying. People seemed to be from another era. We had a great time riding bicycles in the fields, and hiking up in the hills above the town. There was an amazing order to the village that was only apparent once you got up high above it. One of the people we were traveling with was a young lady from Australia. Amazingly, while in the communal showers at our hotel, she bumped into her former flute teacher from when she was a child. This lady had also made the journey, by coincidence, and happened to be in the same place at the same time. While we were there, the hills were full of tents, as it was some sort of summer festival season. The whole experience was like a dream.
Thanks for the information ... As I am currently staying in Beijing I was looking for some more information on Datong - thanks, I liked yours, it helped me a lot!
regards
Thumbs up Thank you for your powerful writing in this the picures. I was there in 2006 and took some photos. I had to donate some money to the family and the monk for that.
andy_ino@yahoo.com.au
I would liketo swap photos if you would
Thanks
Show some respect Hi!
I have no problem with the things you witnessed, I have heard a lot about sky burials before. I don't even have a problem with your descriptions, after all there are many people who are interested to learn.... BUT to put photographs on the internet?! Even just to take pictures. Did the family actually speak enough English to say you could take photos and explain why they were happy with it, or did they just nod when you pointed to your camera. Did they have any idea the images would be put on the internet for everyone to see?
You have no right to intrude on people's private grief in such a way. Even if they gave you permission to be there you should have more respect for the deceased than to take photos of the corpse.
Have you never had anyone close to you die... would you have liked tourists at their funeral? How would you feel if you came across photographs of a dead relatives body on the internet?
As for the last photo.... you're sick! That's not a tourist attraction behind you! That is a private religious ceremony and you're posing as if you've found yet another historic monument! And as for taking photographs of the grieving relatives.... well I hope next time you're at a funeral there's someone there snapping a flash at you. You should be ashamed of yourself.
beijing at night.... what do you think? Beijing awakens at 6 am, not earlier. Taking a Taxi at 3 am costs you a fortune, or you have to walk on your own....
Great Resource I'm a Sociology student at a small American university, and I've been researching burial practices for a few years now. This page and your photographs are a treasure trove of primary research, you really should write up your experiences and publish what you saw for the benefit of the academic community.
I've had a very difficult time in the past finding legitimate research materials on Sky Burial specifically, and excarnation in general. Sources like your experience are invaluable to social research.
Thanks for sharing.
First Pass Under Heaven For a great travel book on China read First Pass Under Heaven published by Penguin and available on Amazon in ten countries. It's the leading authority at the moment on the Great Wall and is a best seller. Click onto: www.greatwalldvd.com if interested.
Not really so wierd If you put this into a cultural and religious context this custom is really not so strange after all.
Buddhists believe that all life is connected, and death is just another step on the circular wheel of life.
I see this as a beautiful and symbolic practice. It seems much more in tune with nature and "reality" than some of our Western funeral customs.
great photos! just wanted to say these are some great photos you took. i'm studying public health in china and the photos of the wet market, dentist's office and tobacco sale are very interesting. good stuff!
Thx Though dude I live in India and am closer to Tibet than you are ur Blog provided a lot of important information for a school presentation I had to submit thx a lot
Thank you I feel that you told the story respectfully, and that the photos were not "over the top" in any way. If people hear about some type of tradition or ceremony, and it is shrouded in secrecy and spoken of in whispers, and shielded from view....that is what creates misunderstandings and stigma...you've helped us to understand this ritual.... we will probably never have the opportunity to travel and see these things; it's great that there are people willing to share... especially since you were invited to join the family and were allowed to take photos.... may this person rest in peace. I was moved by this story....thank you.
about your frustrating things ok. in china there are many frustrating things,but you know i am chinese and i was born in xi'an and live in xi'an now. every frustrating things is from population of china.chinese people do work that they don't really like to do,but if we don't .we will not have money to buy food for ourselves.so the harder we do ,the more we will be given tasks,the less we get salary,boss would regard one person as 8 persons(i mean boss will give us most tasks which will reach your limit).so you could n't know this backgroud .
I've been there, too Your pictures are wonderful and esxactly as I remembered them in Xiahe two years ago. The place mesmerized me. I was traveling with 10 friends from Atlanta, Ga - following the old Silk Road from Xian to Kashgar, with a detour to Xiahe. I remember the bus ride as being very bumpy and long, but with amazing scenery. I would love to return - thanks for the memories.
MaryC
non-member comment
Read 'Sky Burial' by Xinran
I've just finished reading the non-fiction novel 'Sky Burial' by Xinran and would recommend it to anyone who has found this discussion on sky burials interesting (or infuriating, or whatever). Xinran introduces the reader to Tibetan culture in a very personal and accessible way, and sky burial is central to the story she shares. I got the book from Amazon.