Tales from Tibet

High in the Tibetan Himalayas, at an altitude of nearly three and a half thousand kilometers it takes several more days from Lhasa to ascend the final thousand kilometers to reach the Ngari Plateau, the “Roof of the World.” Life in Ngari is difficult for all. Babies suffocate in the womb, plants do not grow. Vegetables are aluxury and soldiers feel blessed if they see their wives once in a year. Many die due to a lack of oxygen, and others battle avalanches, blizzards, mudslides, altitude sickness and diseases only to die when a car flips over on the perilous China National Highway 219. In Ngari, death is an easier alternative to survival; however, through the stories, we discover it is also a place of kindness and friendship. In the past eight years, the author, Du Wenjuan, has journeyed five times to Tibet, three of which were to Ngari. She has talked with countless people, recording the extraordinary lives of its inhabitants.