BayouGal

Have you heard about it? A new train/railway in China provides oxygen for altitude sickness. The Qinghai-Tibet line boasts high-tech engineering to stabilize tracks over permafrost and sealed cabins to protect passengers from the high altitude. At its highest point, the railway reaches 16,640 feet.

It's very controversial because of the area it will open up to trade, development, tourism, etc, including the subsequent environmental changes that could occur. Interesting to read about.

gail

Perfect (not!) for me, who gets scared on tramway rides.

travel_addict

China already has opened up areas of Tibet to trade & development. Many Tibetans have been forced out of their businesses by the influx of Chinese in their cities. And whenever they protest or complain about anything, usually they are put in prison, tortured or killed. (over a million Tibetans have already been killed!) The Chinese have also already polluted much of the areas they have 'claimed' in Tibet. It's a sad disgrace that other countries, including the U.S., are just standing by letting this happen. (Not much different that what we're doing in Iraq, I suppose.)

For more info, visit http://www.savetibet.org/

TheWeasel

This is a good way to get to Tibet, which previously was fairly difficult and expensive to reach. However, that is precisely why so many people are opposed to the new train. In regards to the politics, it's been reported that this will aid China in diluting the Tibetan population, which will in turn likely prevent the possibility of Tibet gaining independence.

travel_addict

Personally, I'd rather have Tibet remain difficult to reach and expensive! The Chinese have already done so much damage. I have a friend who is Tibetan who visited his family a couple of years ago. The slide show he came back with was absolutely amazing. (I have no idea how he was able to get the film out of the country - they usually confiscate it!) In one slide, he would show the most beautiful scenery & people, and in the next, drunk Chinese men hitting on the Tibetan women, horrible pollution, and very poor Tibetan neighborhoods - the reason why they're so poor is because the Chinese have run them out of business.

If you really want to know more about this issue, watch The Cry of The Snow Lion.
http://www.cryofthesnowlion.com/

BrianMD

Ozzie might. No, wrong. I was thinking of the Crazy Train back when I was trying to get through med school. Brian

tampatramp

BayouGal,

even though this is the US board, I have followed the construction of the train for some time and am planning a visit to Tibet (4th China visit) by train one year soon. Yes, I love trains- just got back from a cross country train trip Sydney to Perth on the Indian Pacific.

Some people think Tibetians are so cute to visit and should remain in the 19th century for their own traveling enjoyment. I am happy China will bring Tibetians into the 21st. century and improve the Tibetian economy, as they should since Tibet is a provence of China. I hope China expands the railroad to other cities in Tibet.

Just checked. The train completed its maden voyage with 600 passengers Sunday 00:31 am! What great news for travelers! [and Tibetians].

travel_addict

Tampatramp - did it occur to you that maybe the Tibetan people are not interested in having the Chinese 'bring them into the 21st century'? Especially when they have no freedom of religion and are expected to lose important aspects of their cultural heritage. They did not choose to become under Chinese rule either. You obviously no very little about the situation or you wouldn't be making such ignorant remarks.

chelseaM

BayouGal, looks like this is turning into a political debate.
I guess the thing is it has happened, and whether we sympathize with the Tibetans or not, we can hope that their way of life is changed for the better and not worse.
Our world and cultures have alsways experienced changes, inported ideases, loss of traditions and all the horrors of war.
While we are all entitled to express our opinion, attacking other posters here isn't really going to change anything. Tolerance starts at home.

chelseaM

I meant diseases in the previous post, sorry.

tampatramp

travel_addict,

like it or not, we are in the 21st century.

It is my opinion that the railway will be good for Tibet's economic and social development, and will improve life for Tibetans. You may of course disagree and hold another opinion but having traveled several times in China and studied its history, I do know what I am talking about. (that's know , not no; typo on your part as you are probably a faster typer than I am). But just because we do not agree does not make me ignorant.

Never the less, you can't change the fact that Tibet has been part of China for over 700 years. No foreign government has ever recognized Tibet as independant. It is time for the Dalai Lama (what a nice humble old man whom I greatly admire) to give up on his pathetic dream of an independant homeland; no body cares (certainly no country). There are real problems in the world and we need China on our side, and so does the rest of the civilized world. China is a great place to visit; Fodors has some real good guidebooks- we are all "travel addicts"

The railroad is a significant engineering achievement. The answer to the OP is that I would definitely ride the train.

bardo1

You might want to repost this on the Asia forum.