Tibetans believe that walking around a holy mountain or a sacred lake will bring good luck in various forms.

Doing so in the year of the deity of the mountain or lake will be 13 times as efficacious as doing so in an ordinary year.

Ancient Tibetan documents show that the Tubo Kingdom used 12 animals to represent the 12 years of their repeating astrological cycle. Later, as a result of cultural exchanges, ancient Tibetans introduced the Kalacakra (Wheel of Time) Tantra from India and the chronological system of Central China.

In the 11th century, a way of numbering the years was established, which combined symbolic animals with Yin (negative), Yang (positive) and the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water).

The five elements are combined respectively with Yin and Yang to form 10 items, corresponding to the 10 Heavenly Stems in traditional Chinese chronology.

The 12 astrological animals correspond with the 12 animals of the Earthly Branches used in traditional Chinese chronology: the mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

Each of the 10 Yin or Yang items combines with one of the animals to refer to a given year. The cycle, which repeats every 60 years, is called "Raojiong" in Tibetan, and corresponds to the 60-year Jiazi cycle of the Chinese lunar calendar.

The year 2004 is the year of the Wooden Monkey, and the Tibetans believe the holy mountain of Zari was born in a wooden monkey year. Thus more Tibetans will be taking more ritual walks around the mountain than in the other years of the cycle.

In Tibet, there are two holy mountains commanding the highest respect of the local people: Kangrenboqe and Zari.

The Tibetans cherish the tradition of taking ritual walks around Kangrenboqe in the Year of the Horse, and around Zari in the Year of the Monkey.

Zari is a branch of the giant Himalayas about 200 kilometers to the southeast of Lhasa, capital of Tibet Autonomous Region. It extends from Nang County in Nyingchi Prefecture in the east to Lhungzi County in Shannan Prefecture in the west.

Legend has it that a Buddha subdued a great many deities and commanded them to stay in a palace on this mountain's summit to meditate.

But one spirit named Jor had boundless power and demanded food from the human world in the Year of the Monkey when it was born.

When offered food, Jor would give blessings to the givers. If not, Jor would bring disaster to human beings. This is another reason for visiting the mountain this year.

Tibetans generally start the journey around Mount Zari in the fourth or fifth month of the Tibetan calendar. It takes eight to 10 days to complete the circuit. Locals believe that each circuit they take will gain them a second life.

The local governments of Nang and Lhungzi counties have been working to develop tourism in recent years. But the road to the holy Mount Zari is still full of challenges even for well-equipped trekkers. But it is worth the hard journey to be able to see the devoted Tibetans circling the mountain in their simple attire.

| China Travel Update |