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Since ancient times, China’s inland people have been moving westward to Tibetaninhabited areas such as the QinghaiTibet Plateau, and Tibetan people have been moving eastward from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to inland plains and basins.
After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, a large number of inland people moved into Tibetan-inhabited areas in response to the government’s calls to aid the construction of the country’s border regions, while at the same time, Tibetan people also entered central and eastern areas to study and work.
Since the reform and opening-up policy was implemented in the late 1970s, this two-way population flow has sharply increased in scale, and migrants have become more demographically diverse.
Inlanders have not only migrated to Tibet Autonomous Region, but also to Tibetan-inhabited areas in Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan provinces, whereas Tibetan people have primarily chosen inland urban destinations.
Trend
Since the 1980s, migrants into Tibet and the four other provinces with Tibetan-inhabited areas are predominantly migrant workers and private business owners, who mainly engage in service, construction, and agricultural industries related to Tibetan people’s basic needs for clothing, food and lodging. Such entrepreneurs have made special contributions to the region’s economic development, social progress, and improved living standards.
Migrants out of Tibetan-inhabited regions have mainly settled in inland cities such as Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, and Beijing.
Chengdu, because of its proximity to Tibet and Tibetan-inhabited areas in Sichuan including Garze and Aba, is an ideal place to live for many Tibetans. More than 10,000 people inhabit the city’s Tibetan district.
Beijing, the country’s capital city and political, cultural and information center, has strong appeal to people from various ethnic groups, including Tibetans. Most Tibetans in Beijing reside in Chaoyang and Haidian districts, in small clusters.
In addition, quite a number of Tibetan migrants also have settled in north China in- cluding Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and areas around the Wutai Mountain in Shanxi Province, northeastern provinces including Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang, and the southern coastal province of Guangdong.
Tibetan migrants mainly engage in trade, service and cultural industries or religious occupations. In these fields, they can take advantage of their linguistic and cultural strengths and find jobs relatively easily; they also have more opportunities to associate with people from the same ethnic group, so that they can adapt to the inland living and social environment more quickly.
The influx of Tibetan migration eastward shows that Tibetans have very strong adaptability and can live harmoniously with Han people and people from other ethnic groups.
Migrant Tibetans either live in small Tibetan communities or blend with people from other ethnic groups. Regardless, they usually communicate with each other in Tibetan. Moreover, they can hold religious activities freely and can disseminate and further develop their religious tradition.
For instance, Tibetan Buddhist religious objects are sold on a business street in Chengdu’s Wuhou District. Customers not only include Tibetans living in Chengdu, but also a large number of other Chengdu residents and people from other inland areas. The Yonghe Lama Temple and the Highlevel Tibetan Buddhism College of China in Beijing and areas around the Wutai Mountain are also major gathering places for Tibetan Buddhist monks and worshipers.
Some Westerners and Tibetans in exile tend to only see the flow of inland people westward into Tibetan-inhabited areas, while ignoring the population flow in the other direction.
Turning a blind eye to the two-way population flow, they constantly claim that the Tibetan language, culture and ethnic characteristics, as well as Tibetan Buddhism, are on the verge of extinction or in danger of being washed away by the so-called one-way flow of Han people into the Tibetan-inhabited areas. The two-way population flow proves these claims to be groundless.
Impetus
Why do Tibetan people move to hot and humid eastern areas? The migration is driven by China’s reform and opening-up policy, urbanization and modernization process and other economic, political, cultural and religious factors.
First, eastward migration from Tibetaninhabited areas is a historical tradition. Relatively close links between Tibetaninhabited areas and the central plains were established in as early as the Tang Dynasty(618-907). Enterprising and with strong adaptability, Tibetan migrants have managed to adapt to urban life in inland areas despite differences in weather conditions, social environment and lifestyle. Tibetans who have settled in the plains already, including those working in government and nonprofit organizations, also to some extent encourage and help other Tibetans move east.
Second, Tibetan people are also attracted to inland areas by better work and learning opportunities and higher living standards. In addition, inland metropolitan cities such as Beijing and Chengdu are very inclusive. Tibetans settling in inland areas can travel back and forth between their hometown and resident city, and enjoy the advantages of both places.
Third, the reform and opening-up policy implemented by the Central Government has spurred migration of Tibetan people from their native highlands to the central plains. In the meantime, local governments of regions receiving many Tibetan migrants have also implemented policies favorable to them. For instance, the Chengdu Municipal Government has promulgated policies to support incoming minority ethnic groups to do business.
Fourth, the increased outward flow of Tibetans from their hometown to the country’s other regions is a reflection of their desire to identify with other people in the country. This desire has been enhanced by the preferential policies of the Central Government and assistance from other places of the country.
Significance
The bi-directional population flows between Tibetan-inhabited areas and other regions in the country have not only promoted exchanges, communication and integration among different ethnic groups but have also helped spread Tibetan culture and religion across the country and even to the outside world.
Meanwhile, the two-way population flow has also helped boost the competitiveness and economic power of Tibetan-inhabited areas and the development of the whole national economy, and promoted harmony between ethnic groups.
After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, a large number of inland people moved into Tibetan-inhabited areas in response to the government’s calls to aid the construction of the country’s border regions, while at the same time, Tibetan people also entered central and eastern areas to study and work.
Since the reform and opening-up policy was implemented in the late 1970s, this two-way population flow has sharply increased in scale, and migrants have become more demographically diverse.
Inlanders have not only migrated to Tibet Autonomous Region, but also to Tibetan-inhabited areas in Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan provinces, whereas Tibetan people have primarily chosen inland urban destinations.
Trend
Since the 1980s, migrants into Tibet and the four other provinces with Tibetan-inhabited areas are predominantly migrant workers and private business owners, who mainly engage in service, construction, and agricultural industries related to Tibetan people’s basic needs for clothing, food and lodging. Such entrepreneurs have made special contributions to the region’s economic development, social progress, and improved living standards.
Migrants out of Tibetan-inhabited regions have mainly settled in inland cities such as Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, and Beijing.
Chengdu, because of its proximity to Tibet and Tibetan-inhabited areas in Sichuan including Garze and Aba, is an ideal place to live for many Tibetans. More than 10,000 people inhabit the city’s Tibetan district.
Beijing, the country’s capital city and political, cultural and information center, has strong appeal to people from various ethnic groups, including Tibetans. Most Tibetans in Beijing reside in Chaoyang and Haidian districts, in small clusters.
In addition, quite a number of Tibetan migrants also have settled in north China in- cluding Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and areas around the Wutai Mountain in Shanxi Province, northeastern provinces including Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang, and the southern coastal province of Guangdong.
Tibetan migrants mainly engage in trade, service and cultural industries or religious occupations. In these fields, they can take advantage of their linguistic and cultural strengths and find jobs relatively easily; they also have more opportunities to associate with people from the same ethnic group, so that they can adapt to the inland living and social environment more quickly.
The influx of Tibetan migration eastward shows that Tibetans have very strong adaptability and can live harmoniously with Han people and people from other ethnic groups.
Migrant Tibetans either live in small Tibetan communities or blend with people from other ethnic groups. Regardless, they usually communicate with each other in Tibetan. Moreover, they can hold religious activities freely and can disseminate and further develop their religious tradition.
For instance, Tibetan Buddhist religious objects are sold on a business street in Chengdu’s Wuhou District. Customers not only include Tibetans living in Chengdu, but also a large number of other Chengdu residents and people from other inland areas. The Yonghe Lama Temple and the Highlevel Tibetan Buddhism College of China in Beijing and areas around the Wutai Mountain are also major gathering places for Tibetan Buddhist monks and worshipers.
Some Westerners and Tibetans in exile tend to only see the flow of inland people westward into Tibetan-inhabited areas, while ignoring the population flow in the other direction.
Turning a blind eye to the two-way population flow, they constantly claim that the Tibetan language, culture and ethnic characteristics, as well as Tibetan Buddhism, are on the verge of extinction or in danger of being washed away by the so-called one-way flow of Han people into the Tibetan-inhabited areas. The two-way population flow proves these claims to be groundless.
Impetus
Why do Tibetan people move to hot and humid eastern areas? The migration is driven by China’s reform and opening-up policy, urbanization and modernization process and other economic, political, cultural and religious factors.
First, eastward migration from Tibetaninhabited areas is a historical tradition. Relatively close links between Tibetaninhabited areas and the central plains were established in as early as the Tang Dynasty(618-907). Enterprising and with strong adaptability, Tibetan migrants have managed to adapt to urban life in inland areas despite differences in weather conditions, social environment and lifestyle. Tibetans who have settled in the plains already, including those working in government and nonprofit organizations, also to some extent encourage and help other Tibetans move east.
Second, Tibetan people are also attracted to inland areas by better work and learning opportunities and higher living standards. In addition, inland metropolitan cities such as Beijing and Chengdu are very inclusive. Tibetans settling in inland areas can travel back and forth between their hometown and resident city, and enjoy the advantages of both places.
Third, the reform and opening-up policy implemented by the Central Government has spurred migration of Tibetan people from their native highlands to the central plains. In the meantime, local governments of regions receiving many Tibetan migrants have also implemented policies favorable to them. For instance, the Chengdu Municipal Government has promulgated policies to support incoming minority ethnic groups to do business.
Fourth, the increased outward flow of Tibetans from their hometown to the country’s other regions is a reflection of their desire to identify with other people in the country. This desire has been enhanced by the preferential policies of the Central Government and assistance from other places of the country.
Significance
The bi-directional population flows between Tibetan-inhabited areas and other regions in the country have not only promoted exchanges, communication and integration among different ethnic groups but have also helped spread Tibetan culture and religion across the country and even to the outside world.
Meanwhile, the two-way population flow has also helped boost the competitiveness and economic power of Tibetan-inhabited areas and the development of the whole national economy, and promoted harmony between ethnic groups.