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Reform has taken Tibetology to new level

By Lin Qi (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-10-16 07:44

China's reform and opening up have taken Tibetology to a new level, experts have said after reviewing the development of the religious philosophy over the past three decades.

More than 200 international and domestic experts and scholars exchanged the latest findings on, and progress in, Tibetology at the Fourth Beijing Seminar on Tibetan Studies.

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Participants in the three-day seminar, which closes at the China Tibetology Research Center (CTRC) in Beijing today, presented and discussed their research works on the Tibet autonomous region's society and economy, linguistics, literature, religion, Sanskrit, museum studies, ancient history and Tibetan medicine.

Among other things, their reports gauged the impact of the Beijing-Tibet Railway on the living conditions of Tibetan families, examined the balance between environmental protection and economic growth in Yarlung Tsangpo River valleys, and explored the possibilities of developing Tibetan medicine.

"The reform and opening up policy has taken the course of Tibetology to a new level," Lhagpa Phuntshogs, director-general of CTRC, said. "The latest studies have broken the limitations of traditional framework and a comprehensive system of modern Tibetology has been established, covering almost all the social aspects of Tibet and areas in other provinces where Tibetans live."

There has been a remarkable increase in the number and quality of Tibetology publications and papers, researchers and research works, education and publishing institutions, he said.

"The past years have witnessed booming exchanges between Chinese Tibetology circles and the world, and more and more foreign experts on Tibetology have come to China."