Lost Lhasa: Heinrich Harrers Tibet by Heinrich Harrer

Lost Lhasa: Heinrich Harrers Tibet Reviews

• 
  Robin

  It’s ultimately a sad story, but very important to remember. There once was a country high on the vast Tibetan Plateau of Central and East Asia. The climate was harsh and there were no cars or public transportation. Yaks and mules transported people and goods, and many people lived nomadic lives in portable tents. The capital city, Lhasa, was the seat of their spiritual and political leader, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, who was a young teen who had led a sheltered life. Despite high altitude, steep mountains, and harsh climate, many beautiful and elaborate monasteries and government buildings were constructed. This Buddhist nation was, in the 20th century, still a medieval feudal society, with no organized army or border patrol. Throughout history, various waves of Chinese invaders had been driven out. Until 1950, when the Communists systematically invaded Tibet pretending to be allies, then launched the Cultural Revolution, torturing and killing Tibetans, destroying their architecture and culture, and repopulating the land with their own.
  
  Heinrich Harrer, the author and protagonist of Seven Years in Tibet, escaped from a British internment camp via Tibet, arriving after many months, close to starvation, in Lhasa. One of the first Westerners in Tibet, he became a confidant and teacher of the Dalai Lama. An avid photographer, he miraculously acquired a camera in Lhasa, as well as an enormous amount of movie film, which he adapted to fit the Leica. The photos in Lost Lhasa document Tibetan people, arts, and culture during the final years before Mao Zedong invaded. Short essays accompany each photo series, adding context and drawing attention to details in the images.
  
  Photos include members of the Dalai Lama’s family, Tibetan friends, monks, nomads, dancers, pilgrims, tradesmen, criminals, and Peter Aufschneiter, Harrer’s mountaineering companion who escaped prison and made the long walk to Lhasa with him. The backdrop is often beautiful mountain peaks, reflective bodies of water, or elaborate architecture. Subjects include games and sports, New Year’s celebrations (Yar-so), the Potala, butter tea, the market, traditional painted scrolls depicting lives of saints (thangka), the Great Prayer celebration—more ominous than it sounds, various trades and crafts, boating, and the Dalai Lama’s escape. Of particular interest are the photos of monk officials’ formal Yar-so outfits: European fur hats and czarist Russian brocades. This indicates that though Tibet was unknown to most Europeans, trade with Europe was considerable.
  
  Those who like to study Asian history, photography buffs, and fans of Tibetan arts and crafts will enjoy Lost Lhasa. Anyone interested in early images of the Dalai Lama and his family or photos of the Tibetan culture at its apex will find this book a rare resource.
• 
  Wendy

  Before I read this book, I did not know much about Tibet. Of course I knew about the Dalai Lama and that he was in exile because of the Chinese invasion, but I didn't know much more. This book is a great vehicle to remember the Tibet that has been lost in the hopes that Tibet will soon be free so that the lost Tibet can be resurrected. I want to read Seven Years in Tibet, too.
• 
  Kate

  A very unique and in-depth look at Tibet before the communists subsumed this wonderful society. Harrar lived there and spoke the language for seven years, and was close to the Dalai Llama, and was also able to take photographs that show daily life. Published in the 1950s.
• 
  Richard Marney

  A wonderful book: travel, history and friendship.
• 
  Chris

  A nice photographic companion piece to
  Seven Years in Tibet. There's not a whole lot of new information, mainly just photos that complement his previously told stories, but it's still worth checking out.
• 
  briz

  Well, it ain't no
  Seven Years. And it's obviously tragic. Just OK.