Tibetan Culture Research Articles

An Analysis of the Transmission Content of the Dance Culture of the Jiajong Tibetan "Kasdawen" in Western Sichuan, China

Background and Aim: Cultural communication is a kind of cultural continuity that has existed since the beginning of human civilization. "Kasdawen" dance is the most distinctive folk dance of Jiarong Tibetan people in western Sichuan, China. From the initial sacrificial hunting and production activities, it has gradually evolved into a folk sacrificial singing and dancing activity in funeral rites, and festival celebrations to worship Buddha and pray for peace. Taking the Tibetan folk dance "Kasdawen" in Heishui County, west Sichuan, China as a case study, this paper analyzes the communication content from three aspects: performance ceremony, performance form, and cultural connotation. Materials and Methods: This study adopts the qualitative research method of literature method, observation method, and interview method, and analyzes the data content. Most of the literature materials come from the county cultural centers or literature and history research centers in the research area, a small part comes from the library of Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China Knowledge Network, and a small part comes from the people. The interviews mainly come from folk artists and outstanding contribution dancers and observe Tibetan social life. Results: In the research results, the communication contents of the "Castaven" dance performance ceremony are mainly divided into festival ceremony and sacrifice ceremony; The communication content of the dance performance form is mainly divided into dance form, style feature, and rhythm feature. The communication content of cultural connotation is mainly divided into patrilineal culture, Wuwu dance culture, and religious belief culture. Conclusion: The dissemination of "Kasdawen" dance culture is to spread the spirit and belief of Jiarong Tibetan nationality, and it is also hoped that the dissemination of the substantive content and spiritual value of "Kasdawen" dance culture will help protect and inherit Tibetan culture.

A linguistic landscape study of shop signs on Barkhor Street in Lhasa

ABSTRACT This study adopts a mixed-method approach to analyze the characteristics of the linguistic landscape in Barkhor Street, the attitudes of tourists, shop owners, and residents towards it, and the strengths and weaknesses of linguistic landscape design there. Findings showed that: 1) In terms of the presentation of linguistic landscape, the combination of ‘Tibetan + Chinese’ appears most frequently, with Tibetan being a priority code present in them. Moreover, different types of shops employ different marking methods for shop signs. 2) Overall, the audience expressed satisfaction with the linguistic landscape, with a preference for using the ‘Tibetan + Chinese + Pinyin’ combination. Most respondents suggested using Tibetan as a priority code and graphemic marking as a marking method. 3) The linguistic landscape design has the advantages of preserving and promoting Tibetan culture and boosting economic development. However, it also has the disadvantage of weak information function and a monolithic presentation of the linguistic landscape due to related language policies. 4) Furthermore, the study found that economic factors significantly influence the choice of language combinations and marking methods in the linguistic landscape. Language policies are a double-edged sword, and language, economy, and culture form an interconnected cycle.

Tibetan Buddhism: artistic, literary, and social legacy

Since the 7th century, Tibetan culture and society have been profoundly influenced by Buddhism. This paper aims to explore how Buddhism has shaped Tibetan aesthetics, music, literature, and social structures and to understand its enduring role in Tibetan identity and history. Employing a qualitative research methodology that includes historical analysis, textual interpretation, and ethnographic studies, the paper investigates the development of a unique Tibetan aesthetic tradition, the establishment of monasteries and the monastic system, and the translation and creation of Buddhist texts. Findings reveal that Buddhism has significantly impacted Tibetan art by fostering the creation of intricate religious art forms like thangkas and mandalas, which are central to Tibetan Buddhist practice and reflect a profound spiritual connection between art and religion. The influence of Buddhism on Tibetan literature is evident in the rich body of original, translated, and adapted texts that have shaped Tibetan literary culture and transmitted Buddhist values and philosophies. Furthermore, Buddhism's centrality in Tibetan society is underscored by the establishment of monasteries and the monastic system, which have been pivotal in preserving Tibetan heritage and culture, providing essential services, and acting as beacons of learning and compassion within the community. The paper recommends further research into the specific ways Buddhist philosophy has influenced Tibetan art and music, the impact of various Buddhist canonical texts on Tibetan literature, and the continuing influence of Buddhism on modern Tibetan society.

Blaze and Sublime — A Preliminary Study on the Aesthetic Characteristics of Red Tangka

The red Thangka not only reflects the Tibetan people’s reverence and yearning for the vitality of life, the brilliance of the sun and the purification of the deity, but also contains the artistic pursuit of fierce and lofty emotions. Through the systematic analysis of 150 works of 20 red Thangka artists, this paper reveals the multiple symbolic meanings of red in red Thangka and the regularity and difference of emotional expression. The results show that the selection and collocation of red is not only the inheritance of traditional Tibetan aesthetics, but also the innovation of modern aesthetic trends. The combination of schematic design, line use and composition form a fiery and lofty aesthetic style of red Thangka. The aesthetic characteristics of red Thangka not only provide us with a new perspective to better understand Tibetan culture, but also provide a rich mass foundation and creative inspiration for the artistic creation and cultural inheritance of red Thangka in the future. The research results confirm that the artistic creation and cultural inheritance of red Thangka have important practical significance and academic value in the sustainable development of Tibetan art and culture.

Traditional Ethnic Furniture in Tibetan Culture

Ethnic furniture is a kind of furniture unique to ethnic minorities in China. The furniture of various ethnic groups has unique features in structure, color, and pattern application. Due to its geographical, economic, and cultural reasons, ethnic furniture can carry and express culture through its own characteristics such as shape, color, and building process. Ethnic furniture includes Tibetan furniture, Bai furniture, Yi furniture, Dai furniture, Korean furniture, Mongolian furniture, Miao furniture, Uyghur furniture, and so on. This ethnic furniture has strong regional cultural and artistic characteristics, reflecting the national cultural connotation it represents. With the development of history and cultural characteristics, it can be said that furniture is another form of history. When one enters the home of the Tibetan people, one will be overwhelmed by the pieces of carved and exquisite cabinets, tables, boxes, and other furniture. Tibetan furniture is a part of the life of Tibetans, as Tibetans control the development and style of Tibetan furniture. Therefore, this paper studies Tibetan furniture, as it has great significance in Tibetan culture.

Ethnic Identity and Traces of Culture: Pema Tseden in a Centenary History of Films

Abstract As a Tibetan indie filmmaker, Pema Tseden is endowed with an ethnic advantage. In his films, he focuses on the real-life conditions of Tibetans. Observing ethnic groups through the personal perspective of the individual, he profoundly contemplates the condition of Tibetan culture in the modernized world while reflecting on China through the geographical perspective of borderland. In terms of form, Pema Tseden’s films represent the unique features of Chinese film aesthetics and poetics by adopting special Tibetan images and the implicit narrative structure of blank space.

The frequency of the use of the word "Tibet" in the Russian-language discourse of the 18th and 20th centuries.

The analysis of the reasons for the appearance of the "three peaks" of the use of the word "Tibet" from the 18th century to the present day in the national corpus of the Russian language is made in the article. Author, by considering the compatibility with the word "Tibet" in text materials, draws conclusions about the dynamic perception of the image of Tibet by native speakers of the Russian language. The article examined the image of Tibet based on materials from the NKRR. The author highlights such characteristics of the image of Tibet as the complexity of the location, the difficulty of the path, the connection with the religious and mystical worldview, mystery, etc. The analysis of the process of designing the image of Tibet reflects the development of relations between China and Russia. We used the main body of the NCR to analyze the uses of the word "Tibet" from the 18th century to the present day. The number of word usage shows three so–called "peaks" occurring in 1740-2000. The research is based on frequency and description. The frequency method helps to determine the number of word usage in different years and identify three "peaks" of the use of the word "Tibet". The descriptive method allows us to trace the peculiarities of the use of the word "Tibet" at the moment. It was revealed that the first peak of the use of the word Tibet was at the end of the 19th century. At the end of the 19th century, Tibet was an unknown region for Russians. The design of the image of Tibet is helped by textual information coming from scientific and trade expeditions. Most of the words combined with the word Tibet set the vector of movement to a new country for Russians. The second peak of word usage occurred in 1926. At this time, Russian people's knowledge of Tibet became deeper in the aspects of religion and tourism, and the description of Tibet became more detailed. During the third peak of word usage (2009), with the continuous development and popularization of Tibetan culture in Russia, more and more attention is paid to describing the image of Tibet, and there are more and more works dedicated to Tibet, advertisements for Tibetan clinics, travel blog texts about Tibet. Thus, the study of the image of Tibet is relevant for modern linguistics. The materials of the article can be used to develop educational materials, and will also be useful in studying the dynamic aspect of the worldview.

Geospatial modelling of farmer–herder interactions maps cultural geography of Bronze and Iron Age Tibet, 3600–2200 BP

Tibetan cultures reflect deeply rooted, regional interactions and diverse subsistence practices across varied high-altitude environments of the Tibetan Plateau. Yet, it remains unclear how these cultural relationships and social interactions took shape through time and how they were influenced by ecologically oriented behavioral strategies (e.g. mobility) emerging in prehistory. Recent applications of network analysis provide novel tools to quantitatively measure shared forms of material culture, but there have been fewer attempts to couple social network analysis with fine-grained geospatial modelling of prehistoric human mobility in Tibet. In this study, we developed an integrated high-resolution geospatial model and network analysis that simulates and correlates subsistence-based mobility and ceramic-based cultural material connectivity across the Tibetan Plateau. Our analysis suggests that (1) ecologically driven patterns of subsistence-based mobility correspond geographically with Bronze and Iron Ages settlement patterns across the Tibetan Plateau; (2) diverse material interaction networks among communities within western and central Tibet and trans-Himalayan connectivity across the broader Inner Asian Mountain Corridor can be linked to modeled differences in regional networks of subsistence mobility. This research provides ecological and archaeological insights into how subsistence-oriented mobility and interaction may have shaped documented patterns of social and material connectivity among regional Bronze and Iron Age communities of the Tibetan Plateau, prompting a reconsideration of Tibet's long-term cultural geography.

Research on Rural Art Design and Brand Establishment

Art helps rural revitalization, and various regions explore and practice based on actual analysis of the current situation. This article uses real cases to illustrate the relationship between rural art design and branding, drawing inspiration from the “Gesar King Tibetan Culture and Skills Park”. The park is dedicated to providing skills training and promoting Tibetan culture and Gesar culture among impoverished children in Tibetan areas. Currently, children in Tibetan schools have created their own brand of thangkas. Tibetan cultural, creative products, as well as highland specialties are highly popular. This not only improves the living environment, but also optimizes production, life, and ecological space through artistic design. This article delves into the Gesar King Tibetan Culture and Skills Park from the perspectives of the form, content, achievements, difficulties, and problems encountered in establishing a brand through the empowerment of art and culture in rural construction. It promotes Tibetan thangka art and daily applications, digital sales, and the residency and inheritance of artistic achievements, providing reference for more aspiring thangka artists in the future.

Pomegranate seeds: a comprehensive review of traditional uses, chemical composition, and pharmacological properties.

Pomegranate seeds (PS) are the dried seeds derived from pomegranate fruit, accounting for approximately 20% of the fruit's total weight, and are a by-product of pomegranate juice extraction. These seeds hold significance in traditional medicine among Uyghurs and Tibetan cultures, featuring diverse clinical applications within traditional Chinese medicine. These applications include management of gastric coldness and acidity, abdominal distension, liver and gallbladder fever, and pediatric enteritis. PS demonstrates properties such as stomach tonicity, qi regulation, analgesia, and anti-inflammatory effects. Extensive research underscores the richness of PS in various phytochemical compounds and metabolites, notably unsaturated fatty acids (particularly linolenic acid and linoleic acid), phenolic compounds tocopherols, proteins, and volatile oils. Notably, among these bioactive compounds, punicic acid (PA), found within PS, demonstrates potential in the prevention and treatment of cancers, diabetes, obesity, and other ailments. Despite extensive literature on pomegranate as a botanical entity, a comprehensive review focusing specifically on the chemical composition and pharmacological effects of PS remains elusive. Therefore, this review aimed to consolidate knowledge regarding the medicinal properties of PS, summarizing its chemical composition, traditional uses, and pharmacological effects in treating various diseases, thereby laying a foundation for the advancement and application of PS in the field of pharmacology.

Modern Chinese Oil Painting on “Tibetan Themes”

Chinese fine art has undergone a long and painstaking history of the formation of classical writing techniques. However, the globalization processes, which also affected the spheres of artistic activity, influenced the themes of works, techniques and techniques of oil painting in China. Meanwhile, the existential and religious flavor of Tibetan painting, untouched by world trends, has preserved many unique traditional principles of existentialism and worldview concepts that have absorbed the virginity of the spiritual and semantic identity of the people. This phenomenon has attracted a lot of attention from professional artists and collectors of fine art. At the same time, the storehouse of unique Buddhist values and the foundations of the existence of the people of historical Tibet began to attract researchers and artists relatively recently. Namely, since the middle of the last century, eminent masters of the brush have only discovered this “art residence”, instantly capturing the market of connoisseurs of high culture and lovers of painting with their works, gaining their love for Tibetan chronography reflected in modern Chinese oil paintings. The canvases represent the value potential for the historiography of the ancient people, conglomerating the foundations of ontological, ethnic, regional, national and religious traditions of the original style, which determine the semantic value-forming core of Chinese culture. This phenomenon contributes to its continuity and self-identity, despite the influence of Western artists. The development of Chinese oil painting has undergone many collisions, ranging from Westernization, Russification and the consequences of the war with Japan, ending with the discovery of the value potential of the worldview system of the Tibetan people. The recognition of Chinese sovereignty over Tibet allowed China to integrate into its “art workshop” the spiritual and social perspectives of the national identical Tibetan culture, which conquered the art world with its identity. In the process of the formation of oil painting, artists subjected it to nationalization and Sinification, which, through the prism of depicting the realities of Tibetan life, allowed to form an original style of creating works.

Simvolika cveta v iskusstve tanka

The article examines the origin of symbolism and the cult of colour on the example of colour symbolism in the art of Thangka; it analyses two cultural and logical approaches to colour symbolism comprehension: using inductive method (generalization of natural attributes of colour) and deductive method (further transformation of colour symbolism into a social phenomenon and extension of colour semantic field). Two main symbolic systems generated by colour symbolism in Tibetan culture in the deductive process of its transformation into a social phenomenon - the “system of objectification” and the “system of humanization and deification”, their implementation in the Thangka paintings and the features of serving the needs of religion are investigated in this article.

Analysis of Lens Aesthetics and New Development in Modern Chinese Art Films

As the first Tibetan director in China and also a writer and screenwriter, Wan Ma Caidan has created and produced many excellent films about Tibetan culture and beliefs. His films have largely filled the gap in Tibetan culture in the Chinese film industry, and have also given the Chinese film industry, which mainly focuses on Han Chinese stories, a more diverse and rich ethnic identity. But at the same time, what Wan Ma Cai Dans movies tell also breaks through the limitations of ethnicity and region. This article analyzes the film visuals of mainland director Wan Ma Caidan and studies how their composition and color are combined with poetic and freehand brushwork in modern Chinese art films. The final conclusion is that the differences in audio-visual language expression and lens aesthetics in films of different ethnic cultures are influenced by ethnic cultures and living environments. And in the context of the prevalence of new media, explore the new development of traditional art films in China.

Mapping urban scenescapes of ethnicity: a study of Tibetan cultural scenes in downtown Chengdu, China

ABSTRACT Urban scenescapes are significantly influenced by cultural groups representing different ethnicities. In order to foster a cohesive and inclusive urban environment, it is crucial to comprehend the scale, type, and distribution of scenes associated with ethnicity. With the aim of exploring Tibetan cultural scenescapes in Chinese cities, this study employed the theory of scenes to develop a socio-spatial research method. By focusing on the five downtown districts of Chengdu as the study area, the study evaluated the effectiveness of urban facilities in expressing Tibetan culture and delineated the scenescapes related to Tibetan ethnicity in the designated region. This study’s findings indicate the following: 1) different urban facilities exhibited notable variation in their cultural performance; 2) currently, seven distinct scene clusters showcase Tibetan culture in downtown Chengdu; 3) these scene clusters can be categorised into three types. Based on the findings, this study has proposed strategies for planning scene clusters and designing facilities, with the overarching objective of fostering an inclusive and multicultural urban environment.

The Mode of Transmission Research of Tibetan Culture in New Media

Tibetans are an ethnic minority in China and have a rich and unique cultural heritage after thousands of years of historical changes. With the increase of internet penetration and the rise of various new media platforms, new media has become an important medium for cultural dissemination. In order to inherit Tibetan culture, the paper summarized the different ways of Tibetan culture output in new media and analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of government-led and individual-based cultural communication modes in terms of images and texts. By taking advantage of the strengths and weaknesses, the paper finally concluded and discussed three feasible new media communication solutions to help the transmission and dissemination of Tibetan culture, namely, promoting a series of scenario-based stories based on Tibetan culture, creating a systematic Tibetan culture communication account and creating an incentive mechanism for cultural communication on each platform. Through these improvements to address the current shortcomings of new media cultural communication, Tibetan culture will be better known and passed on to more people.

Learning to be Chinese: colonial-style boarding schools on the Tibetan plateau

ABSTRACT Like other colonial state structures, the education system in China aims to manufacture regime loyalty and cultural conformity among its 125 million minority nationalities. The Party-state's lessons in ‘being Chinese’ begin by nullifying traditional languages, cultures and lifestyles, which are deemed primitive and uncouth, and then remould minority students in the image of the Han majority and its perceived superiority. In this article we examine the vast network of boarding schools on the Tibetan plateau, where three out of every four Tibetan children are placed in around-the-clock state care with little access to their home communities: here a rigid and uniform curriculum in Mandarin Chinese promises upward social mobility for those who comply while transforming and homogenising worldviews. We argue these colonial-style boarding schools are slowly and irrevocably erasing aspects of Tibetan culture in ways that fundamentally alter Tibetan identity.

Realism as a "Method"

After the tide of the pioneering narrative of the "New Tibetan Novel" receded, Tibetan writer Tsering Lobu returned to the realistic creation of the literary narrative field, centering on "restoring the real Tibet" and taking "realism" as the main tone of his creation. In the profound revelation of the proposition of "loneliness" of human existence, in the deep remembrance of Tibetan history and in the consideration of the game between modern civilization and traditional Tibetan culture, he wrote a series of fiction works that truly reflect Tibetan history, culture and the real life of the ethnic groups.

The Positive Influences of Master Nagarjuna’s Treatises on Tibetan Culture

The topic for my article is ‘The Positive Influences of Indian Master Nagarjuna’s Treatises on Tibetan Culture’ and I have broadly divided this article into two parts, namely: 1. The Treatises’ Influence on the Lives of Ordinary People, and 2. The Treatises’ Influence on the Lives of Monastic Community. Generally speaking, there are six volumes of Master Nagarjuna’s treatises translated into Tibetan language by Tibetan translators, but I am going to write my article mainly based on treatises like, Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way (Mulamadhyamakakarika), Entry into the Middle Way Principle, A Letter to the Friend, The Four Hundred Verses Treatise, and A Guide to the Boddhisattva’s Way of Life. The purpose of writing this article is not only to share knowledge, but also to express this ancient Indian Buddhist philosopher’s marvellous contributions to the development of Tibetan culture and its effective relevance to the entire humanity even in the 21st century. In addition, the importance of continuous preservation and study on the above-mentioned treatises is also something that seriously needs to be taken care of. The method to be adopted here would be qualitative method as I am going to refer to treatises composed by this great Indian Master and their commentaries written by Tibetan Buddhist scholars like, Gyal Tsob Dharma Rinchen, Ngulchu Thokmey Sangpo, and Je Tsongkhapa, the founder of Gelug tradition. These treatises have been used at different Tibetan Buddhist Learning Centres across the world for hundreds of years and they have tremendously given powerful impacts on the way of leading lives and the manner in which the external phenomenon is perceived. In other words, they have rendered a well-balanced space regarding the relationship between the object to be perceived and the perceiver or the person.

중국 소수민족 요소와 힙합 음악의 융합에 관한 연구

Tibetan hip-hop music is a new type of music characterized by the genre characteristics of Chinese Tibetan culture and folk music genres. In order to analyze the characteristics of the fusion of traditional Tibetan music and modern hip-hop music, this article looks at the development history of Tibetan music and cites representative works of Tibetan music from each period to analyze its main characteristics. The main elements of Tibetan hip-hop music are analyzed in terms of lyrics, melody, vocals, and orchestration, and illustrated with examples from several works. This article will shed new light on the development of Tibetan popular music. It attempts to shed new light on the localization of hip-hop music in order to understand how Tibetan music has been streamed and how it has been ethnicized. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and study the fusion of Tibetan music and hip-hop.

Recognition of Ellipsoid-like Herbaceous Tibetan Medicinal Materials Using DenseNet with Attention and ILBP-Encoded Gabor Features.

Tibetan medicinal materials play a significant role in Tibetan culture. However, some types of Tibetan medicinal materials share similar shapes and colors, but possess different medicinal properties and functions. The incorrect use of such medicinal materials may lead to poisoning, delayed treatment, and potentially severe consequences for patients. Historically, the identification of ellipsoid-like herbaceous Tibetan medicinal materials has relied on manual identification methods, including observation, touching, tasting, and nasal smell, which heavily rely on the technicians' accumulated experience and are prone to errors. In this paper, we propose an image-recognition method for ellipsoid-like herbaceous Tibetan medicinal materials that combines texture feature extraction and a deep-learning network. We created an image dataset consisting of 3200 images of 18 types of ellipsoid-like Tibetan medicinal materials. Due to the complex background and high similarity in the shape and color of the ellipsoid-like herbaceous Tibetan medicinal materials in the images, we conducted a multi-feature fusion experiment on the shape, color, and texture features of these materials. To leverage the importance of texture features, we utilized an improved LBP (local binary pattern) algorithm to encode the texture features extracted by the Gabor algorithm. We inputted the final features into the DenseNet network to recognize the images of the ellipsoid-like herbaceous Tibetan medicinal materials. Our approach focuses on extracting important texture information while ignoring irrelevant information such as background clutter to eliminate interference and improve recognition performance. The experimental results show that our proposed method achieved a recognition accuracy of 93.67% on the original dataset and 95.11% on the augmented dataset. In conclusion, our proposed method could aid in the identification and authentication of ellipsoid-like herbaceous Tibetan medicinal materials, reducing errors and ensuring the safe use of Tibetan medicinal materials in healthcare.