Amdo in the Tibeto-Chinese borderlands is not - as many believe - just the lamaseries of Kumbum, Labrang and some minor monasteries far from the heartland of Tibetan culture. This detailed survey of The Cultural Monuments of Tibet’s Outer Provinces quickly reveals that Tibetan culture is neither extinct in Tibet proper nor in the outer provinces of Amdo and Kham. Their inhabitants’ accomplishments in rebuilding monasteries, restructuring the economy and revitalizing the traditional way of life are among the most fascinating recent events in Asia. This work is an expression of the author’s admiration and respect for what Tibetans have accomplished within the last decades.
Until now, East Tibet has been poorly researched, not to speak of comprehensively documented, and presented. These two volumes are thus all the more valuable in presenting for the first time in English information about this enormous area that was previously unavailable. Areas being part of what is called east Tibet, however, make up a major share of the Tibetan high Plateau, accounting for some two thirds of its huge area. It was thus urgent that a survey of Tibet’s cultural monuments and specific features of historical monuments of the eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau—with special reference to its culture, history, tribal and ethnic variety—were made available.
Andreas Gruschke has visited and thoroughly documented-often for the first time-many of the unknown sites in Amdo and Kham, among them highly active monastic establishments with hundreds and even thousands of monks and hidden treasures of Tibet's living and revitalized Buddhist tradition. He presents a variety of historical, economic and religio-philosophical aspects that in order to explain and evaluate the differences and the common features within the Tibetan cultural context, including detailed descriptions of the current situation of the sites and, to a lesser extent, of the society.
The wealth of materials has made it both necessary and rewarding to publish several volumes dealing with the historical monuments of east Tibet - with the first two presenting the fascinating world of northeast Tibetans in Amdo: vol. 1 on The Qinghai Part of Amdo and vol. 2 on The Gansu and Sichuan Parts of Amdo.
The first volume was just published in June 2001, the second volume in October 2001.
Born in 1960, Andreas Gruschke lives and works in the southwest German city of Freiburg. 1982 to 1990 studies in geography, ethnology (cultural anthropology) and sinology (Chinese studies) at universities in Aachen, Freiburg and Beijing (1984/85). Work as a lecturer at Shanxi Agricultural University in Taigu, Shanxi, PRC (in 1985/86), and at Kangweon National University in Chuncheon, South Korea (1992/93). Beginning in 1987 repeatedly guiding study tours through Eastern and Central Asia, with the emphasis put on Tibet and the Silk Road. During numerous private trips the author continued research on Tibetan culture, with a particular view to the ethnic development and the relationship between the different peoples in contact. Altogether, he has been more than 40 times to the various parts of the Tibetan realm, thus having travelled some 100,000 km all over the highland, from Ladakh and Western Tibet, several Tibetan areas in the Himalayas, southern and central Tibet, the vast steppes of the Changthang in the plateau's heart up to almost every area in Amdo and Kham in the East. His publications therefore mostly deal with Tibetan culture, including picture albums on Tibet, books on the oral tradition of the Tibetans and articles on ethnography, history and society.
