BY S K SARDA*
 
Since after the reopening of the Nathu la pass on 6th July 2006, Sikkim Chamber of Commerce has been urging  upon the Indian Government to influence Chinese  government to waive the Special Permit requirements for foreigners visiting Tibet Region of China.

Communications in this regard were also sent to  Commerce Ministry, Government of India. Recently, when His Excellency, the Vice President of India was in Sikkim, a delegation of the chamber met  the Vice President and submitted a memorandum which among other things also dealt on this subject.
It is worth mentioning here that the visitors to Tibet  have to apply for a Special Entry Permit  which is  obtainable from Foreign Office at Beijing . The  Chinese Embassy in India ssues Visa but do not issue Special Entry Permit for Tibet. The Indian tourists  have to reach Mainland China on a visa and again after reaching Mainland have to apply for a Special Entry  Permit for Tibet Autonomous Region.
 
No More Special Permits

“With an eye to flooding the roof of the world with  tourist dollars, China is moving to scrap a strict  entry regime for Tibet and make it easier for  visitors,  to come in with a single Chinese visa” a  topChinese government official said.  
 
On 12th September,2006, the Chinese government  announced that Travel to Tibet will be eased on  October 1 when the Chinese government will no longer  require foreign tourists to have special permits to  enter the highest region on Earth, according to Wu  Jilie, vice-chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Regional  government.
 
The government in Tibet will waive existing travel  restrictions and open more areas of Tibet for tourism, the government official told journalists in Lhasa on 12th September 2006.  
Wu Jilie confirmed that Tibet was still the poorest region of China and that tourism needed to be further  developed to change that.  
 

Keep The Altitude In Mind

In the next decade several billion dollars are to be  invested into Tibet, that will include links to India,  Nepal and into western Tibet.  A caution issued for the Indian tourists on health  considerations for those of who want to visit TAR
after October 1, 2006 when the special permit  regulation is likely to be formally withdrawn.
 
No matter when to visit Tibet, however, the  3,600-m.(12,000-ft) altitude of the   Lhasa Valley  will be a factor to consider, even if you live  year-round in the Rocky Mountains or in Switzerland.

For the first few days, at least, the ubiquitous green canvas oxygen bags will be constant-and most welcome  companions.  Any form of over-exertion (such as  running or strenuous climbing) is patently dangerous,  with even the fittest specimens courting dehydration and pulmonary strain.

No Smoking, Drinking !

Most visitors will feel some form of mild  discomfort-usually some combination of headache,  nausea, dizziness, chest pain, or insomnia. Lots of rest and aspirin are the best remedies, although  extreme symptoms may signal the onset of more serious  forms of altitude sickness. In these cases, a
physician should be consulted at once. The best cure in most cases may be an immediate return to a level  ground. Smoking and drinking will only exacerbate the
discomfort.
Prior to 1980, the Chinese required rigorous physical  exams of all passengers prior to boarding their flight  to Lhasa. Since then, however, this requirement has  been waived for many groups. But visitors with high  blood pressure, or any respiratory or heart ailments,  are advised to attend to the risks and reconsider  their travel plans.
 
Tibet is beautiful.     Lhasa, the “City of Sun,” is nestled high in the Gyi Qu Valley and is blessed with  seasonally mild and humid weather from monsoons in  India 500 km. to the south. Tibetan winters, as might  be supposed, are fiercely cold.

Come In Late Spring 

But for half the year,  strong sunlight warms the thin air, making most days  in Lhasa comfortably mild and, owing to protective  mountains, relatively windless. Summer temperatures  hover above 30′C (high-80s F) and only to drop to a  searing -23′C (-10′F) in midwinter.

The best time to  visit is from late spring to early fall. Located in the southwest frontier of the People’s  Republic of China, Tibet Autonomous Region has an area  of over 1.2 million square kilometers.. With the  average elevation of over 4,000 meters, Tibet is the  plateau region with the largest space and the highest  sea level in the world, which is dubbed “the World  Ridge” and “the Third Pole on the Globe”. Famous for
peculiar geological features, magnificent natural  scenery, splendid ethnic culture and characteristic  local customs and practices, Tibet has become the Holy  Land for overseas tourists, mountain explorers and  scientific surveyors. 
 
Geographically, Tibet can be divided into three major  parts, the east, north and south. The eastern part is  forest region, occupying approximately one-fourth of  the land. Virgin forests run the entire breadth and  length of this part of Tibet. The northern part is  open grassland, where nomads and yak and sheep dwell  here. This part occupies approximately half of Tibet.

Finding The Centre 

The southern and central part is agricultural region, occupying about one-fourth of Tibet’s land area.With  all major Tibetan cities and towns such as Lhasa,  Shigatse, Gyantse and Tsetang located in this area, it  is considered the cultural center of Tibet.
 
The total area of the Tibet Autonomous Region is  12,00,000 square kilometers . The region is  administratively divided into one municipality and six  prefectures. The municipality is Lhasa, while the six  prefectures are Shigatse, Ngari, Shannan, Chamdo,  Nagchu and Nyingchi. Meanwhile,on September 23, 2006 at 8.28 a.m. the first  train T264 from Guangzhou, the capital of China’s  southeast Guangdong Province, to Lhasa sold the first  ticket priced at 451 yuan. 
 
Along the ticket, passengers are being provided a  register card of personal health conditions and a  handbook of travel tips to the Tibet Plateau. According to current regulations, overseas passengers shall present  Tibet entry permission authorized by government before boarding the train, says China Tibet information Centre.    
 
Direct To Tibet

Once the relaxation is formally withdrawn on Ist  October 2006, Indian tourists with visa can visit  TAR(Tibet Autonomous Region). It is not yet clear  whether the Chinese will allow Indians to enter Tibet  via Nathu la pass or any other Indian land frontier. 
 
It is interesting to note that there is no way to fly  direct between Beijing and New Delhi on any Chinese or  Indian carrier; the only way to do so is on Ethiopian  Airlines. It is likely that at the first instance China may  allow entry into Tibet by air from any Indian airport  and later may allow for entry through land frontiers.  But as it appears, the Chinese government is very keen  to develop Tibet and wants tourists to visit Tibet so  that it can raise the economy there.
 
( S.K.Sarda is the President of Sikkim Chamber of
Commerce)