China V.S. Tibet

Hannah Riley

16 November 2011

China V.S. Tibet

Imagine riding on a plane, looking down and seeing the vast, white setting of snow in Tibet. The plane lands and there is a yak waiting to take you to a train station to China. When the train arrives in china, you see a lot of different things, as well as similar things in China as you saw in Tibet. China and Tibet are similar and different for many reasons, as shown in this essay. First, China and Tibet are similar for many reasons. China is very religious. They believe in Buddhism and it is a huge part of their day. There are very few Christians in China. (Kalman 17). Tibetans are very devout Buddhists. They pray every day and have teachers that are called "Lamas" that teach how to be a good Buddhist. (Levy; Bosco 78). Both China and Tibet are strong and devout Buddhist. There are very few Christians in China and Tibet. They both strongly dislike Christians too. They need missionaries over there, quickly! Tea has many uses in China. It helps with sickness, warmth, and it brings families together. Also, pork and other meat is eaten at almost every meal. They are very important parts of the meal (China Highlights, par. 8, 1). Tea is also big in Tibet. They drink butter tea which is made out of yak butter. It warms them up in the harsh climate of Asia. Meat also appear at every meal because meat also gives them strength to survive the climate. (China Odyssey Tours, par. 3, 4). Tea and meat seem to be very important foods in China and Tibet because it keeps them warm the cold, harsh climate. China and Tibet are very similar in religion, as well as food.

Second, the culture in China and Tibet is very different for many reasons. One of China's main religions other than Buddhism is Confucianism. It is based on an old, Chinese philosopher, Confucius, and his teachings. (Edmonds, Smith par. 18). Lamaism is widely popular in Tibet. In Lamaism, the belief is on reincarnation. After a teacher (lama) dies, the people look for the reincarnated teacher in their children. ( Sperling, par. 5). These religions are very different. One is based on a man and the other is based on reincarnation! Grains are also one of the main foods in China. In the north the people of China eat mainly wheat grain and in the south, the people of China eat mainly rice grains. ( Edmond, Smith par. 14). Tibet's main food is Yak. They have yak butter, Yak tea, Yak meat, and Yak milk! Their meals are mainly based on Yaks. (Levy, Bosco 121) China and Tibet's food choices are nothing alike. It is grains and then Yak products. China and Tibet are different in their religions and food varieties. Even though China and Tibet are similar they are also very different and it shows through their culture. Once you see all of China and Tibet you feel like it is time to go home. You think back to what