Along the tributaries to the upstream
Yellow River, There are numerous Tibetan temples and villages.
The upstream Yellow River, called Ma-Chu by the local Tibetans,
has an inseperable relationship with the people of Amdo. They formed
settlements along the streams of MA-Chu. The main religion in Amdo
is the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism.  Gelug, which refers to the
yellow hats that the monks wear, has the Dalai Lama as one of its
members. Repkong is situated between the two most influential temples
in eastern Tibet: Kumbum Temple in Xing. Qinghai Province and Labrang
Temple in Xiahe, Gansu Province. Repkong has long been a boundary
where Chinese and Tibetan cultures often met. The Mongolian army
left its mark here and so did the Islamic civilization that marched
eastward along the Silk road, all of which made the region very
culturally complex. Yet off the main Silk Road route, the area’s
characteristics as a place where war was made over caravan trade
routes, is still visible. On the way to Repkong, there are few
signs that the ancient Buddhist culture is still alive in this
region. Instead, everything here is Islamic. Many people on the
street are Muslim and wear Islamic dress. Once can also see mosques
and people praying in the direction of Mecca.
 Across a bridge over the Yellow River is Rongwo. A path built
precariously on the edge of a cliff overlooking the valley looks
very rough. All of a sudden, a 30 meter image of Buddha carved
into the side of the cliff appears on the other side of the valley.
The face of the seated Buddha is brightly painted and some Tibetan
characters are inscribed on the right hand side. Just a few moments
earlier I had passed by village with a mosque. Then suddenly the
atmosphere completely changed and it was as if I were in a different
country. People here were wore long-sleeved Tibetan clothes and
there were chordens at the village gates, which signifies that
this is a Buddhist village.
After about 10 killometers of narrow paths, villages suddenly
appeared in a basin of farm fields. Each village has a Buddhist
temple, and the administrative centre of this basin is called Rongpo
Gyakhar. Originally, more than 70 percent of the residents used
to be Tibetan descent, but now the place is called by its Chinese
name Tongren.
 Tongren is undergoing dubious Chinese style urbanization that
is common in the autonomous counties of ethnic minorities in China.
On both sides of the nearly four lane road, stand buildings that
are finished with Chinese-style tiles and appear out of place with
the surrounding scenery. The green panes of glass in the windows
of those buildings represent modernization, yet they seem out of
sync with the calm appearance of the temple sitting majestically
on the mountain slope.
Among the 50 or so Tibetan Buddhist temples in the Repkong area,
Rongpo, Wutun and Guomari are the most popular with festival goers.
Repkong is an important center for Tibetan Buddhist art. In this
region in particular, the art of making tangka appliqué is
so superb that most of the tangkas across Tibet are made
by painters from here. Even today most of the adult make population
who live near the temples in the Rapkong region are directly or
indirectly involved in the making of tangkas. Every Repkong
temple has a huge tangka measuring 20 by 30 meters and
is displayed once or twice a year at during festival times.
The reason the tangkas get taken out from deep inside
the dark temples and put on public display is that they occasionally
need to get exposed to sunlight and wind. At those times monks
participate in group dances and strong young males in the village
take out the rolled up tangka from the corner of the storeroom,
put it on their shoulders and take it to the street. While the
holy tangka is transported up a hill, devotees kiss and
bow to it in order to be blessed. They hold up high for them to
touch the tangka in the belief that such an act dispels
diseases. Once up the hill, it is unrolled down the slope while
monks read scriptures. Once complete, people reverently put their
hands together in the direction of the tangka while the
gigantic image of Buddha shines in the sunlight.
After the tangka opening ceremony, the main part of the
festival begins. The most popular attraction is the mask dance
performed by the monks. The Tibetan mask dance, called Cham, depicts
conflict between good and evil. When the lamas defeat the evil
spirits during the dace, the audience applauds and cheers and one
begins to forget all the stress and worries of daily life. When
festivals take place, nomads flock to the temples by bus or foot,
and people clad in colorful and flamboyant attire sell and buy
goods on the market open during the festival periods. For nomads,
the festivals in Repkong are an important time during which religious
ceremonies, entertainment, and shopping can all happen in one place. |
