Paris, France
ESF seminar
The Lhasa Valley and Tibetan Architecture
An interdisciplinary workshop, entitled: 'The Lhasa Valley: History, Conservation and Modernisation in Tibetan Architecture', was held in Paris, 27-29 November 1997, hosted by the CNRS, Meudon, UPR 299 (Milieux, sociétés et cultures en Himalaya). The initiative for the workshop was taken and its organization prepared by Dr Heather Stoddard, with the assistance of Françoise Robin. Participants came from the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, USA, UK, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, and France. Other colleagues were invited from China, Nepal, and India.By Heather Stoddard
With Jerusalem, Rome, Benares, and Mecca, the city of Lhasa is one of the holy cities of the world. The name itself, Lha.sa, meaning 'Land of the Gods' or 'Sacred Place', proclaims its origin in the mid-7th century, but archaeological finds confirm the presence of human habitation in the valley since neolithic times, 4500 years ago. For two hundred years the capital of the military empire of Great Tibet, the city shared this function with that of the 'Sacred Place' of Tibetan Buddhism. Lhasa was also important as a Central Asian city, in historical, cultural, and economic terms, drawing pilgrims and merchants from many parts of Asia. Unique because of its altitude, at 3700 m. above sea level, Lhasa was and still is one of the places on earth that captures the imagination of humankind.Lhasa is one of fifty protected historic cities of the PRC. Despite this, at present, the whole valley, including the old city, is undergoing a rapid transformation. The very fabric of the heart of Lhasa is in danger. When the workshop was proposed two years ago, 270 sites remained out of the 650 recorded on Aufschnaiter's map in 1948. By the end of 1997, only 180 survived. This is why the workshop sought to concentrate attention on city itself, but did not eschew reaching out to the broader question of Tibetan architecture on the high plateau, and beyond.
An exhibition on Tibetan architecture was organized in Paris and Rome in 1985, by Paola Caffarelli, accompanied by the publication of an important catalogue, Demeures des Hommes. Sanctuaires des Dieux. Sources, Développement et Rayonnement de I'Architecture Tibétaine (Rome & Paris 1987). This was a promising beginning but little further research has come out over the last decade. Previously, L'Homme et la Maison (edited by Gérard Toffin, CNRS 1981), treated the question on the southern side of the Himalayas, and recently Anne Chayet has published a short survey of the subject in Art et Archéologie du Tibet (Picard 1994). At present, the Lhasa Historic City Atlas is in preparation by a European team, headed by Knud Larsen of Trondheim University, Norway, and it was this on-the-ground work we have done over the last four years which created the impetus for the present workshop. French Tibetology has also produced a rich and interesting new corpus of materials on Lhasa in the 16th century during the reign of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, in Lhasa. Lieu du Divin, Olizane 1997, edited by Francoise Pommaret.
The workshop was the first specifically dedicated to this subject to be held. Its aim was interdisciplinary, including anthropologists, historians, architects, tibetologists, and sinologists. It was also an experiment, venturing into the sensitive area of cultural heritage conservation, restoration, and development in Tibet.
Discussions
Most of the topics were covered or touched upon by the speakers or in discussion, with the exception of the development of CD-ROM resources. Several French colleagues who did not present papers acted as chairpersons for the different sessions, and took an active part in discussions. A round table was held at the end of the workshop, during which suggestions on future strategy were discussed. It was concluded that two complementary approaches should be pursued: 1) Research under present existing agreements should be continued, with small on-the-ground projects working with local authorities; 2) The possibility of launching a large-scale international project should be explored.
A round-table discussion was held at the end, entitled: 'What future for Tibetan Architecture'. Two videos taken in Tibet in 1997 were shown. One presented a detailed survey of the l7th century Tromzikhang Palace, which is one of the most important remaining historic buildings on the Barkor, and other important sites in Lhasa. The other gave a brief glimpse of a hitherto unknown conical structure made by two Byang.thang nomad tribes for their winter quarters. Including auditeurs, about fifty people attended the conference. Our Asian colleagues had the chance to visit much of the historic city of Paris, and Dr Fernand Meyer gave a delightful guided tour of the Abbey of Royaumont, the historic town of Senlis, and the Chateau de Chantilly.
Future plans
Kegan Paul, London, made an early bid to publish proceedings of the workshop, so all participants have received instructions on formating, fonts, and illustrative materials. Corneille Jest, Heather Stoddard, and Françoise Robin will be in charge of editing.
The publication of the workshop papers, the studies mentioned, will make available a substantial body of new research on Tibetan architecture. In the meantime, photographic and mapping archives are accumulating and will provide important information for further research and conservation of Lhasa and other sites in the Tibetan world. New contacts were made during the conference with the 'Observatoire de l'architecture de la Chine contemporaine', recently established in Paris, and with 'Patrimoine Sans Frantiènes'. Ultimately, the aim is the creation of a documentary and research centre for Tibetan cultural heritage, which could be associated with a school of traditional architecture and conservation. A forum on the WWW and a web-page could be set up in the near future.
Funding for this workshop was provided by the European Science Foundation, Asia Committee, Leiden. Further grants were given by the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO) and the CNRS. URA 1229 (Langues et Cultures de I'Aire Tibétaine) Paris.
:Dr Heather Stoddard can be reached at E-mail: shaluas@aol.com