City’s culture attracts people from across the globe
Lhasa, capital of the Tibet autonomous region, has attracted numerous people from around the world to work and study in the city because of its unique culture, imposing landscape and amiable climate.
Some of them started as tourists but found they loved it so much they decided to stay on a more permanent basis.
Friedrich Schuster from Germany is one such tourist. He came to Lhasa 10 years ago.
“Just like other tourists to Lhasa, I visited many local cultural landmarks like the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple,” Schuster said.
“The visit to Potala was a crucial moment for my decision to stay,” Schuster said. “With the grandeur of the palace and flocks of pious pilgrims in sight, I just felt enlightened.”
Schuster was a chef in Germany. Now he works at a restaurant in Barkor Street.
In his first years in Lhasa, he studied at a local language school to learn Chinese and Tibetan languages.
Schuster said he chose to work in the restaurant in Barkor because it is close to the Jokhang Temple, where he can meditate and communicate with monks there.
He said he likes to make friends with locals, drink butter tea and eat Tibetan dishes. “I think I am used to the life here. I am a Tibetan now.
“One of the reasons that I love Lhasa is that my labor and my skill (in cooking) are fully appreciated by the locals and tourists alike,” Schuster said. “This is similar with my hometown in Germany.”
While devoting his passion to making dishes, he said he is happy to see the diners expressing their gratitude with smiles.
Abigail White, from the United Kingdom, arrived in Lhasa two years ago. With her fondness of Tibetan culture, she decided to stay in Lhasa.
White said she loves Tibet’s traditional dances so she is learning from local artists while studying in a language school.
“At the beginning, food and the language were the major challenges to my stay here,” White said.
She said she is now accustomed to the local food and can speak simple Chinese and Tibetan language.
“I spent the Losar, or Tibetan New Year, here in Lhasa several months ago,” White said. “I celebrated the festival in the families of my Tibetan friends, making local dishes and setting off fireworks.”
She said the experience offered her a better opportunity to learn about the local culture.
Li Xiaoxia, a teacher at the language school where White studies, said an increasing number of foreigners are now living in Lhasa and studying in her school.
“In my class, there are students from the United States, Britain, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines,” Li said. “One thing in common for the students is that they love the people, culture and landscapes of Lhasa and regard Lhasa as their home away from home.”