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Tibetans embrace high tech, Internet
Source: Xinhua |
September 19, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
MONASTERY life might be mostly about preforming daily rituals and studying sutras, but Thupten still finds time to surf the Net.
"I watch movies - for example, Harry Porter," said the monk in his early 30s. Thupten joined Jokhang Temple when he was a teenager.
He has an iPhone and likes to play downloaded games on it.
He considers it harmless fun while pursuing his Buddhist study and religious practice for most of the day.
Through the Internet, Thupten has learnt a lot about the world outside the monastery.
By the end of last year, southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region had 1.2 million Internet users, 90 percent of whom go online through cell phones and the rest through broadband services.
Compared with the 450 million Internet users in China, the figure is small, but it accounts for nearly half the population of Tibet.
Online chatting has changed Pasang Drolma's social life. About 8pm, after supper, she logs on to QQ, an online chatting service, to talk with family members, old college classmates and friends living outside Tibet.
"The topic we talked about most recently was traveling in Tibet. Many of my friends outside Tibet are keen to come here and I am the best consultant," said the 32-year-old Lhasa resident.
The Internet has replaced the telephone and postal system as the most frequently used communication tool, she said.
And it is also being used as a new way to shop. Paldron, a 30-year-old bank clerk in Lhasa, has bought lamps, kitchenware and even a sofa for her new apartment online.
"Lhasa is comparatively small and you cannot always find the brand you want at shops here. The Internet helps a lot," she said.
The only thing she does not like is the high freighting cost, as many online shops are based in east China.
Now she always carries a small laptop in her bag. With a wireless connection, she can get online anywhere in Lhasa.
According to the Tibetan government, by the end of last year, 3G services covered seven cities, 73 county seats, 416 townships and 28 major tourist sites in Tibet.
"I watch movies - for example, Harry Porter," said the monk in his early 30s. Thupten joined Jokhang Temple when he was a teenager.
He has an iPhone and likes to play downloaded games on it.
He considers it harmless fun while pursuing his Buddhist study and religious practice for most of the day.
Through the Internet, Thupten has learnt a lot about the world outside the monastery.
By the end of last year, southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region had 1.2 million Internet users, 90 percent of whom go online through cell phones and the rest through broadband services.
Compared with the 450 million Internet users in China, the figure is small, but it accounts for nearly half the population of Tibet.
Online chatting has changed Pasang Drolma's social life. About 8pm, after supper, she logs on to QQ, an online chatting service, to talk with family members, old college classmates and friends living outside Tibet.
"The topic we talked about most recently was traveling in Tibet. Many of my friends outside Tibet are keen to come here and I am the best consultant," said the 32-year-old Lhasa resident.
The Internet has replaced the telephone and postal system as the most frequently used communication tool, she said.
And it is also being used as a new way to shop. Paldron, a 30-year-old bank clerk in Lhasa, has bought lamps, kitchenware and even a sofa for her new apartment online.
"Lhasa is comparatively small and you cannot always find the brand you want at shops here. The Internet helps a lot," she said.
The only thing she does not like is the high freighting cost, as many online shops are based in east China.
Now she always carries a small laptop in her bag. With a wireless connection, she can get online anywhere in Lhasa.
According to the Tibetan government, by the end of last year, 3G services covered seven cities, 73 county seats, 416 townships and 28 major tourist sites in Tibet.
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