“Seven Years in Tibet” ( German: Sieben Jahre in Tibet ) is an autobiographical book of the Austrian traveler and climber Heinrich Harrer . The events described in the book are recollections of his real life experience in Tibet in 1944-1951 during the Second World War and during the transitional period until the invasion of the Communist Army of the People's Republic of China in Tibet in 1950 .
| Seven Years in Tibet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | autobiography , memoirs , travel notes |
| Author | Heinrich Harrer |
| Original language | Deutsch |
| Date of first publication | 1953 |
| Publishing house | and |
The main character of the book and at the same time its author Heinrich Harrer, tells of the events thanks to which he, a simple climber and athlete, became one of the closest friends of the fourteenth Dalai Lama . The book moves the reader into the world of Tibetan everyday life and culture, describing in detail the lifestyle of the Tibetan people and the events that led Tibet, as a free and independent state, to become a Chinese province.
Content
- 1 plot
- 2 reviews
- 3 Screen
- 4 Gallery
- 5 Links
Story
The book begins with a story about the dream of the protagonist, who, as a young man, wanted to become a member of an expedition to the Himalayas . Arriving in India (which at that time was a British colony ) before the outbreak of World War II, Harrer, along with his companions, was captured by the British. While in custody, he makes his first attempt to escape, but after 38 days he was still found and returned to the camp. A year later, on April 29, 1944 , he again, together with some of his fellow prisoners, tried to escape, and this time successfully. After many days of wandering, he manages to reach Tibet. Such an expected freedom turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment: although the Tibetans demonstrate courtesy in dealing with strangers, they also make it clear that they are determined to remain isolated from the rest of the world.
Harrer describes the harsh conditions of his journey: food supplies are impoverished, and the temperature drops to −30 ° C. Traveling through the wild regions of Tibet, overcoming several high passes in the Nyententanglha ridge, he and his companion Peter Aufshnayter were exposed to mortal danger from local bandits and harsh climate. Only thanks to the hospitality and assistance of nomadic families, travelers were able to achieve their goal and get to Lhasa .
Upon arrival in Lhasa, Harrer and Aufschneiter are allowed a temporary stay in the city, where after some time they became famous as handymen. Traveling through Tibet, they soon felt that they were integrating into Tibetan society. After obtaining permanent resident status, they were appointed by government officials. Aufschneiter, who was an agricultural engineer by training, developed a canal system for irrigating the fields around Lhasa, and then designed dams to protect the Norboolinka Summer Palace from flooding.
In addition to other work, Harrer was instructed to listen to foreign broadcasts in English and translate political news from abroad into Tibetan .
In his spare time, Harrer practiced in many sports . For example, thanks to his initiative, many Tibetans began to engage in swimming , skiing and ice skating , and also play tennis . In connection with the latter, tennis games were held every week with the Ambassador of Nepal , members of the Chinese Embassy and the British. And in 1949, Harrer was commissioned to build a movie theater .
In 1949, the first meeting of Harrer and the fourteenth Dalai Lama took place. After meeting, they became friends and met regularly. Harrer introduced the young ruler to the outside world and Western technology, in addition, he gave the Dalai Lama lessons in English and geography , and also taught him to greet his hand in European style.
In November 1950 , before the offensive of the Communist Army of the People's Republic of China, Henry Harrer, to his great regret, left Lhasa. In March 1951, he left Tibet.
Reviews
In the preface to the English edition of the book, there is a message from the Dalai Lama who evaluates Harrer’s book this way:
“Harrer has always been a good friend of Tibet. His significant contribution to our common cause is his book “Seven Years in Tibet” introduced hundreds of thousands of people to my country. ”
Screen version
In 1997, based on this book, the French filmmaker Jean-Jacques Annot made a film of the same name. Unlike the book, only the general sequence of events is preserved in the film, many details were omitted, much was fictitious.
Gallery
Photographs of Tibet by Heinrich Harrer in 1938 .
Heinrich Harrer near the Kumbuk Chorten Temple in Lhasa.
Potala Palace , the main residence of the Dalai Lama until the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959.
Kumbuk Chorten Temple in 1938.
The western gate of Lhasa.
Lhasa in 1938.
Norbulinka, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama.