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Journey to Mt. Kailash
Yee-Ming Tan
MalaysiaGALLERYCONVERSATION
In 2001 I journeyed to Mount Kailash in Tibet simply to fulfill a thirst for adventure, but the two-week trip provided a high dose of spiritual nourishment. The Tibetan women I met along the way embody what I see as the essence of womanhood — courage, endurance, strength, beauty, and joyfulness.

Since returning, I’ve thought a lot about that community of women. Of course, a trip lasting two weeks is hardly enough time for me to claim to really know and understand the community; all I can do is share what I observed. Overall, I think the role of women in their communities — be it in Tibet or Hong Kong or any number of other places — doesn’t change. Women are the pillars of the home, nurturing, caring for, and catering to their loved ones, in addition to acting as breadwinners by working in the fields or holding industrial jobs.

I think the difference between that Tibetan community and mine is in the digital distance. The Tibetan women seemed to operate in their immediate physical environment. They cooked together, fetched water together, cleaned sheep’s skin together by the riverside, and often belonged to one extended family. In my society, an individual’s support network can be thousands of miles away. I’m in constant contact via the telephone, the Internet, and email with my sister in Paris, my friend in New York, and my mom in Malaysia. We are connected emotionally and spiritually but not physically anymore. That group of Tibetan women was connected through day-to-day living; they were physically close, while women like me are connected to our wider support group
digitally over a great distance.
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COMMENTS ABOUT THIS STORY
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Tiffany (United States)
I found this story to be very thorough in showing the differences between cultures and how in one are of the world you have everything you need near and if not you work hard and together to obtain it versus in other parts of the world you sometimes are more prone to leave it to others to take care of.
Tiffany (United States)
I found this story to be very thorough in showing the differences between cultures and how in one are of the world you have everything you need near and if not you work hard and together to obtain it versus in other parts of the world you sometimes are more prone to leave it to others to take care of.
Desiree G. (United States)
It is amazing how the Tibetan women provide unpaid labor without hesitation or expectation, it is the life they know. The women fetch water, clean sheeps skins and prepare meals all while being the nurturing provider to their families. These women are truly amazing beings!
Desiree G. (United States)
It is amazing how the Tibetan women provide unpaid labor without hesitation or expectation, it is the life they know. The women fetch water, clean sheeps skins and prepare meals all while being the nurturing provider to their families. These women are truly amazing beings!
Michelle S (United States)
The photos that are posted relating to this piece shows us that women are truly powerful and strong with out todays technogical luxuries
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