Even in Tibet, the modern age has displaced many of the once indigenous aesthetics and traditional arts of this land in favor of a more common culture shaped by ipods, Xboxes and Mtv, oh my! Like everyone else, young Tibet started to focus on finding different ways to spend their time. Moreover, with the opening of the Qinghai – Tibet Railway in 2006, many feared that the Four Horsemen of the Communist were on their way to destroy what autonomy and culture this disputed region had left. The image of scores of tourists trouncing up and down Tibet sent a shiver down many collective patchouli loving spines. However, amid the controversy, there has been a silver lining.
Thanks to the influx of tourists, Tibetans are finding that a better way of spending their time actually involves looking back at their own history. The Mina Qamo, a dance traditionally performed only every 12 years, has experienced a resurrection. According to one performer, “We simply make more money by performing traditional dances for tourists than we do from farm work,” said Nyima Cering. “In order to attract more tourists, we must dance better, sing better, and understand our ancestors’ legacy better. What better way is there for the preservation of our traditions?” According to Xinhua, the Qamo is a religious dance that finds its root in monasteries in the Gongbu area of Tibet where lamas perform the dance as an act to subdue “evil spirits”. Now it has taken to the streets where the dance is performed for tourists, and what was once almost lost in the annals of history is now being etched in the mind of all locals and visitors for generations to come. For now, the horsemen are at bay.
Photo: Hot
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