VOLUME 11 NO. 3 AUTUMN 2009 - China Exploration & …cers/images/stories/downloads/cers_1103.pdf ·...

EXPLORERSChina Exploration and rEsEa rCh soCi Et y

A N E W S L E T T E R T O I N F O R M A N D A C K N O W L E D G E C E R S ’ F R I E N D S A N D S U P P O R T E R S

V O L U M E 1 1 N O . 3 A U T U M N 2 0 0 9

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:Watching the almost total solar eclipse at CERS Center; How Man with Wisconsin professor and students; pika of the plateau; pilgrims at a Bhutanese nunnery

3 Himalayan paradise and paradigm kingdom 8 With the Royal Grand Mother of Bhutan at an 8th Century Buddhist enclave11 Caves not just for tourists14 Unlikely tent-mate provides wake-up call on climate change18 Resting place of the slaughter knife - Gom-Gonsar Monastery of Tibet22 A Buddha in disguise24 Forgotten corner of Tibet 26 Interns savour exotic excursions28 Die-hard leeches of Hainan Island30 Caught on the thin edge of a total solar eclipse 34 CERS in the Field35 News/CERS in the Media

C H I N A

CHINA EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH SOCIETY CHINA EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH SOCIETY PAGE 3

A N E W S L E T T E R T O I N F O R M A N D A C K N O W L E D G E C E R S ' F R I E N D S A N D S U P P O R T E R S

EXPLORERSChina Exploration and rEsEarCh soCiEty

C H I N A

V O L U M E 1 1 N O . 3 A U T U M N 2 0 0 9

President’s Message

CERS has just embarked on organizing the huge archive of our work. Much of this intellectual and material property will constitute a legacy we can pass on to future generations. While we are still pushing ahead with some important projects, we are also

taking time to look back to sort out our records. Such an archive is a repository of knowledge, as well as a case study to inspire others. Our future endowment would ensure that this wealth is preserved.

In this issue, we continue to show you CERS’ diversity. Articles relate how we live up to our mission in exploration, research, conservation and

education. In recent years, we have taken our exploration beyond China’s frontiers into inland Southeast Asia as well as south of the Himalayas. In time, we will also explore Inner Asia or even north Asia.

Occasionally, I have been criticized for being not focused. But why focus when we continue to make discoveries, pioneer new projects with innovation, and deliver results within a short time? People have also accused me of having too many interests. My take on it is that I get bored easily and constantly look for new subjects.

Perhaps that is why I seek new grounds for exploration and as project sites. Each new site becomes my playground, where I delve in wholeheartedly with passion. Perhaps that is why when I describe our work and projects, some friends feel my enthusiasm is contagious. I believe that may be why so many of you continue to support CERS.

CERS is becoming older, as people’s life expectancy is growing longer. With the introduction of better preventive measures against illness, modern drugs and cures for ailments, and life-prolonging machines, we can out-run death even if our many faculties should fail us. Some day in the near future, we may indeed call 60 the ripe age for a mid-life crisis. That is what I am stepping into as I write this.

For my 60th birthday, I took a break in a place without a phone, television and news, not unlike an expedition into the deep unknown spaces on earth. There I reflected on my past, while trying to chart the future. Like the watersheds of great river sources I once stood upon, I am now at another threshold of my life. As my physical energy decreases, I hope my mental stamina increases, as we continue to bring you news of our latest work.

With respect to the entire contents of this newsletter, including its photographs:

All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2009. @ China Exploration and Research Society.

Please contact CERS for reprint permission.

Wong How Man

Founder/President, CERS

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TOP: The Zong at Paro

BOTTOM: A Takin, Bhutan’s national animal

Wong How Man Thimphu, Bhutan – June 8, 2009

Most people come to Bhutan for the peace and tranquility, not least the Gross National Happiness or “GNH” for which the Himalayan kingdom is best known. Just two hours after my arrival in the

capital of Thimphu, I find myself having dinner in the privacy of a home, sitting next to Chief Justice Lyonpo Sonam Tobgay, and listening in on a discussion about the country’s legal road ahead. I am in company of a friend of the chief justice: Lodi Gyari, Special Envoy of the Dalai Lama.

To illustrate his point, Lyonpo occasionally makes references to legal entities from classical times in other parts of the world, be it the Qin Dynasty or that of early Constantinople. Lyonpo is a man of knowledge. I found little opportunity to offer an opinion until his conversation turned to Buddhism. The Chief Justice was interested in finding more common law and practices within Buddhist sutra that can be applied in contemporary times, and incorporated into today’s laws. Bhutan is the only country which embraces Buddhism as its state religion.

“Who was that early pilgrim monk who went from China to India to obtain sutras?” Lyonpo asked, turning to me. “Xuan Zang, of the Tang Dynasty,” I replied. But I could not help but inject

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more equitable planning with respect to their natural and cultural heritage while forging ahead with modernity.

I stopped by a reserve above Thimphu to look at the national animal of Bhutan, the Takin – a kind of goat-antelope. Roaming the hills of the country, this species used to be coveted prize of big-game trophy hunters throughout the Himalayan region. Its range extends from Shaanxi and Sichuan of central China, to Yunnan and Tibet in the southwest, before crossing into Burma, Assam and Bhutan.

The mythology about the Takin here in Bhutan fascinated me. Lama Drukpa Kuenlay (1455 – 1529), the divine “Madman”, is one of Bhutan’s favorite saints, known for his outrageous antics. One day his devotees were gathered to witness his magical powers and asked him to perform a miracle. Before complying, he demanded that he be given a whole cow and goat to eat. Having devoured both, leaving only the bones, he stuck the goat’s head on the bones of the cow. To everyone’s amazement, he uttered a command – and the animal came to life, rose, ran to the meadow, and began to graze.

that most Chinese children learned the story of the monk not from classical history, but from the fictional story, “Journey to the West” – or from comic books about the Monkey King. As head of three disciples of the monk, the Monkey battled all obstacles and devils, protecting his Master and reaching India in pursuit of the authentic Buddhist sutras. These were brought to the capital of Chang An (today’s Xian) where the monk spent the rest of his life translating them into Chinese.

“You know, I was not popular for a while during last year’s first democratic election in Bhutan!” Lyonpo exclaimed. “I decided monks should not be allowed to vote, and they could have counted for over 10,000 votes in this country.” Some monks were also said to have complained about the decision which deprived them of their civic rights.

I again offered my opinion about monastic versus temporal life. “Well, I consider when someone takes a vow to become a monk, he enters the spiritual realm, thus giving up some parts

of the human realm.” Lyonpo said that he was more concerned about religion entering into politics, and in the process creating unwanted rivalry or conflict among monks, among monasteries, and in turn affecting the decisions of their lay followers.

In last year’s election, the Bhutan United Party, also known as the Thrung Thrung, or Black-necked Crane, Party, won by a landslide. It took 45 of 47 seats in parliament, leaving only two for the People’s Democratic, or Horse, Party. Having worked on research and conservation of the Black-necked Crane for more than two decades, my sentiments of course lean towards the party by the same name. My host suggested that I should visit the crane’s winter habitat during my stay in Bhutan and I gladly obliged.

Bhutan is well known for its nature and culture preservation efforts. What would usually be considered backward in a land-locked country with a traditional lifestyle suddenly became its most valuable assets. When the rest of the world looks back on our recent development, most will have wished they had made

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Mural with Black-necked

Crane; pilgrims at a nunnery; a nomad girl;

a Bhutanese nunnery; Elders visiting monastery

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The creature came to be known as the dong gyem tsey, or Takin, and can still be seen grazing on mountain meadows of the kingdom. To this day, it continues to befuddle taxonomists, who put it in a special category. The state bird, however, is the raven. Its habitat is at high elevation, usually between 3,000 and 4,000 meters. Jet black and soaring high with a wide wingspan, it is a symbol of the kingdom, adorning the crown of the King’s ceremonial hat.

While the monks are not allowed to vote, they can watch movies on TV or videotapes at their leisure. I was told they favor Jackie Chan movies, considering the martial art as action and fun, not violent like Western movies. Above all, they said Jackie’s movies have no nudity, so they are safe to watch. In the past, if a family had two boys, they would send one to the monastery. Today, most families prefer sending their sons to college. Many go to nearby India. Those who have the means go to the United Kingdom or United States.

Karma went to Australia to study – not just English, but the art of making coffee. He won’t let anyone touch his machines, caring for them as if they are treasures. After a two-year stint, Karma returned home and opened his own restaurant with a full menu of coffee. His shop in the heart of Thimphu is appropriately named Karma’s Coffee.

My host for dinner was Dasho Karma Ura, Director of the Center for Bhutan Studies, a policy think tank. Dasho studied at both Cambridge and Oxford. It was at his home that I had my first meal in Bhutan, truly authentic and palatable. The main dishes were all vegetables. The local mango as dessert was also delicious. For two separate months in the year, the kingdom refrains from killing animals and most citizens go vegetarian during that period. But in restaurants and hotels, meat is still served, having been frozen or dried ahead of time.

Ugyen is the son-in-law of my friend Lodi. He was educated in America, at George Mason University in Virginia. Growing up as a close friend of the new king Jigme Khesar Wangchuk, he returned to Bhutan three years ago to serve the then-Crown Prince. Today Ugyen works in the King’s office. During last year’s coronation, Ugyen was in charge of all media events, taking care of over 100 journalists from dozens of countries. The abdication of the former king Jigme Singye Wangchuk at the age of 51, deferring sovereign power to his son at 26, has been retold many times. It ushered in a period of new thinking among sovereign courts in the world.

Ugyen is also the name of our guide. Totally fluent in English, this 28-year-old can answer all my questions about his country, often citing dates and periods in Bhutan’s early history. He took me to a local monastery and a nunnery. At the Drubthob

Nunnery with about 50 resident nuns, the main assembly hall has Thangtong Gyalpo (1385 – 1464) presiding over the central altar. He is revered as a Tibetan saint, renowned for his architectural skills. He built some of the most famous iron suspension bridges throughout the plateau, including some in Bhutan. He is also said to have composed many common songs sung during thrashing, building construction and other group activities.

I was most impressed by a visit to the National Institute for Zorig Chusum (Thirteen Arts). Many of the 350 students were

high-school dropouts. While they may not be academic achievers, many were excellent with their hands or creative arts. Teachers and artisans in residence teach ancient skills in designs and crafts of the country. Woodwork, carpentry, sculpture, painting, embroidery, weaving, and so on were introduced in different classes. When these students graduate, they will take up jobs in preserving the country’s cultural heritage.

In recent years, Bhutan has taken on a new shine among high society. Asking if someone has been to the country is akin to asking whether one has been to a new BanyanTree, an Aman Resort or the seven-star Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai. Even a supposedly secret wedding of two Asian celebrities in this remote Himalayan kingdom last year made world headlines. Paradise Bhutan may seem for those of us coming from, or returning to, our mundane world. But expect a shift in your values as the experience can also offer a new paradigm.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Students making ceramic statues;

apprentice in woodcarving; student monks of Bhutan;

inside monastery; stupas at mountain pass


Wong How Man Bumthang, Bhutan – June 12, 2009

WITH THE ROYAL GRAND MOTHER OF BHUTAN AT AN 8TH CENTURY BUDDHIST ENCLAVE

The lady in an elegant green silk dress bowed and prostrated in a swift motion that belied her almost 80 years of age.

She repeated the routine a few times with a solemn face before returning to her seat next to mine as the chorus of monks chanted to the accompaniment of drums and long horns.

Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuk was born in 1930 and married the third King of Bhutan in 1951, becoming Her Majesty the Queen of this Himalayan kingdom. Today, as Royal Grand Mother to the fifth King, she was my host as I had a rare

and privileged glimpse into a private religious ceremony at her bequest for the peace and happiness of the Kingdom of Bhutan.

This is a rare honor for someone making his first visit to the country, having performed no service or work of merit. But our mutual friend Lodi Gyari, sitting on the other side of Her Majesty, had made it possible through his long friendship with the Royal Grand Mother.

I was the only foreign soul allowed in to witness this private rite. It was also the first time the young Khyentse Rinpoche presided over the entire religious ceremony. He is now 15 and a reincarnation of the Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, revered throughout the Buddhist world as a most knowledgeable Tibetan monk of the last century, being also teacher to the 14th Dalai Lama.

Learning about my background of exploration in China through some newsletters Lodi had passed along, the Royal Grand Mother

chatted with me about areas with which she and I were both familiar: Lijiang and Kunming, Palpung Monastery and Dege in Sichuan.

Her mother had been a princess from Sikkim. In crisp English, she revealed that her father used to host Dr Joseph Rock when he visited the Himalayan foothills, and she had met the famed botanist as a young princess herself. I promised that I would send her some of my writings about Joseph Rock, my predecessor at the National Geographic.

The ensemble of monasteries where the ceremony took place was one of the most sacred sites in all of Bhutan. An adjacent temple encompasses an enclave where the Buddhist saint Padmasambhava was said to have meditated, leaving an imprint of his head and body on the rock. Another site in Bhutan where he made his retreat is Taktshang Gomba, or Tiger’s Nest, to which every Buddhist tries to pay homage.

Padmasambhava was an Indian Buddhist Master who brought Buddhism to Tibet and Bhutan, and founded the ancient Nyingma Sect of Tibetan Buddhism during the 8th Century. Better known as Guru Rinpoche in Bhutan, and as Lianhuasheng (Lotus Born) in China and Tibet, he has been revered throughout history and well into today.

After the ceremony, with an entourage of Buddhist monks in tow, the Royal Grand Mother proudly showed me a temple with a huge indoor Mandala of Zangdo Palri to which she had endowed the memory of her parents. She also demonstrated how to make an offering by throwing some rice grains towards the altar. From there we moved into some temporary quarters which served as a dining area. I was invited to ride with her in her car while the royal guards ran ahead in the open field to prepare for her arrival.

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UPPER: Royal Grand Mother,

Khyentse Rinpoche, Lodi Gyari

RIGHT: Khyentse Rinpoche

performing ceremony

BOTTOM: Religious procession


Over a delicious buffet lunch, the Royal Grand Mother and I chatted some more about opportunities for CERS to get involved in Bhutan. I told her I wanted to begin with the wintering ground of the Black-necked Crane at the pristine Phobjikha valley I had just visited. Here each winter, over 300 of these stately birds converge. The wetland also hosted another of our favorite animals, the river otters.

The Royal Grand Mother also wanted me to consider the much-needed restoration to some exceptional but dilapidated murals within the ancient temple of Tamshing Lhakhang, here in Jakar, within the District of Bumthang, an area in Bhutan with some of the oldest Buddhist architecture. I promised to look into it. CERS has always been interested in both nature and culture along China’s fringes, and Bhutan fits ideally into those parameters.

Within the last couple of decades, China has moved to the forefront on the global stage, politically and economically. The traditional role CERS played in China should expand beyond its immediate frontiers, to its neighboring countries. Much of what we have been preserving, be it natural or cultural heritage – like the cranes or Buddhist relics – are shared by people across these national borders. It is pertinent that we begin focusing our efforts on cross-border projects which would not only help fulfill our mission, but bring friendship and peace to our region.

My first visit to Bhutan may have been short. But with the Royal Grand Mother’s patronage, I believe we will return soon.

TOP: Tiger’s Nest of Bhutan

BOTTOM: Monastery where Padmasambhava meditate

CERS caving team exploring new cave in Panzihua

Zhang Fan August 19, 2009 – Kunming, Yunnan

CAVES NOT JUST FOR TOURISTS

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In the past, hundreds of caves discovered in China were quickly turned into tourist sites. Sometimes, these caves can be used for other purposes to create higher value. CERS recently explored two such caves.

From April 22 to 26, a five-member CERS team explored caves in Panzihua at the invitation of the city’s tourism bureau. This city on the bank of the Yangtze in southern Sichuan bordering Yunnan was founded as a mining city in the 1960s after iron ore was discovered nearby.

CERS is an old friend of this city, which is made up of immigrants from all over China. In 1994, it was nominated as recipient of the United Nations’ Model Community Awards during the United Nations’ 50th anniversary. How Man sat on the selection committee for that award, and later became an advisor to the city’s mayor. I visited Panzihua many times during those years and the present trip seemed like a homecoming.

In the last decade, the winding road from Kunming to Panzihua has been replaced by a highway, making it more user friendly and cutting a long day trip to just a half day. Now, the authorities are similarly planning to develop the caves in western China, including those in Panzihua.

Apart from mountains, oceans, forests and deserts, caves offer another dimension of scenery and experience. In Europe, commercial cave tourism has existed for more than 200 years. Caves’ exploration, development, management and conservation have been perfected with well defined principles and discipline.

China is a country with an immense network of caves. During the Ming Dynasty, cave exploration and research within the country was well ahead of Europe and the US. But in contemporary times, development of caves for tourism purposes began only in the 1980s.

Due to their lucrative commercial value, development in cave tourism grew popular throughout the country. Every newly discovered sizable cave would quickly be turned into a tourist destiny. Each province has a dozen or more of such tourist caves, and provinces such as Yunnan and Guizhou have more than 100 caves as tourist attractions. Within a short time, China became one of the leading countries in terms of numbers of caves open for tourists. In the 1990s, their development reached a feverish state.

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CERS has been exploring caves for more than 20 years. Panzihua officials invited us here to explore two recently discovered caves, to assess and advise whether they could be open for tourism.

Both caves we explored are called “Spirit’s Cave” – the most common and popular name given to any cave. Since ancient times, Chinese have considered caves as locations for spiritual masters or celestial beings to live and meditate. It has become part of the culture of caves, unique to China. To differentiate the cave names, we usually add the local place name in front of the common name. In this case, we called one the Panzihua East Spirit Cave and the other Panzihua Renhe District Spirit Cave.

We left Kunming with a full array of caving equipment, including 300 meters of ropes and an inflatable boat for exploring underground streams. We were ready to tackle even the most complex labyrinth. By the time we arrived on site, though, we discovered the only equipment we needed were our GPS and laser measuring devices. These two caves turned out to be among the smallest and shortest caves we have ever explored.

Panzihua East Cave is located only 6.5 kilometers to the east of town, on a hill behind Nong Nong Stream Town at a village by the same name. The GPS reading was 26°38’03.6”N and 101°41’12.4”E with an elevation of 1,882 meters. It has a sub-surface stream and is called a water cave.

A pool inside feeds a wide stream which takes up most of the cave’s entire width. But the water is shallow and never deeper than knee-high, flowing outside the cave to become a stream. According to locals, the stream used to come out of a tiny hole and the villagers dug a wider entrance to get more water. When they did, they found the cave.

Our exploration showed the cave to be 123.4 meters in length with a maximum height of 7.7 meters and maximum width of 7.5 meters. The formation is rather simple and follows the stream’s development As it is still a water-filled cave, it does not have any stalagmites.

The second cave, Renhe Spirit Cave, is on a hill behind Renhe District’s Huben Village next to the Lotus (Lianhua) Temple. It is within the provincial protected forest of Big Black (Da He) Mountain. Our GPS reading of the entrance was 26°39’16.8”N and 101°40’05.6”E at an elevation of 2,180 meters.

This cave is split due to the shifting of two plates. The highest part is about 30 meters with a maximum width of only three meters. Where it is narrow, even a slightly bigger person would find it difficult to squeeze through. It is simple, with no side channels branching off the main cave.

Compared with many other caves in China, these two are relatively small. Without special features and scenery like the limestone formations of stalactites and stalagmites, the potential for tourism is low. But I believe we have a perfect case here to challenge China’s penchant for developing caves only for tourism.

Over the years I have visited and been inspired by many cave developments in Europe, both large and small. Some of the smallest caves were successfully used as hotels, cafés, restaurants or even hospitals. Europe’s diversity of cave use derives from people’s deep understanding of the uniqueness and integrity of caves.

TOP: Three-dimensional cave diagram

LEFT: CERS team squeezing through a

crevice; CERS Zhou Chen Su exploring

China, on the other hand, has seen only one model of cave development, for tourism. This single use for caves created huge competition, resulting in many caves being advertised and heavily promoted. Many were loudly trumpeted when they opened, but quickly fell into disuse. This was a waste of money and resources, and damaged many pristine caves.

To change the mindset requires a new understanding of caves and their multiple qualities and possible functions. The two caves under study are great examples. Panzihua is a modern city of 1.2 million inhabitants. As an industrial-based city, it has its own need for nearby tourism destinations, especially for weekend tourists. To have some natural caves in the vicinity is a gift from nature. The city is situated inside the Yangtze valley with summer heat reaching 38°C. The East Cave we explored has a year-round temperature of 18°C to 19°C, about 20°C lower than the outside temperature during the summer. It is a perfect natural air-conditioner. Its most valuable

resources are the low temperature and underground stream, a perfect vacation place for a retreat and relaxation.

The cave at Renhe, on the other hand, could best be used by young people as a cave exploration site, to be managed by caving clubs or special interest groups. Development of such caves is non-intrusive with little to no development, keeping it as primitive as possible. Exploring this cave would satiate a younger generation’s quest for exploration.

Such exploration into darkness, without artificial lighting, without a guide, without a swarm of tourists, is ideal. Good management would ensure safety issues are met, and all dangerous matter removed. In the most difficult to reach places, providing climbing mechanisms like ropes or stairs would ensure a journey that offers the excitement of danger but without actual risk.

Modern techniques and equipment should be made available, like helmets, special clothing, ropes, and even basic skills training in caving or climbing. This would also provide jobs for trainers. Such “development” is not capital intensive and has a low level of impact outside the caves. Using caves in this way is popular

in the West and I see no reason why it should not be implemented and well received in China.


In recent decades, due to global warming, many of the glaciers and ice fields of western China have been receding. From the Himalayas to the Kulun, the Tanggula Mountains to the Tien Shan, we see glaciers shrinking and snowlines rising as temperatures rise. In the Hengduan Mountains bordering Tibet and Yunnan, the situation has become so dire that a former perpetual snowfield in Lijiang’s Snow Dragon Mountain has only tiny patches of snow in summer.

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UNLIKELY TENT-MATE PROVIDES WAKE-UP CALL ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Two nights ago, the moon was shining bright. The light penetrated the night air into my tent as I lay wondering whether to read or to write. At full moon, my tent felt rather lonely and empty. At an elevation of 4,250 meters, it was also quite chilly.

It wasn’t until the next morning as we pulled camp that I realized I actually had had a tent mate for the night.

A tiny pika, a rodent on the plateau commonly known as a mouse hare, had spent the night under me and my tent, probably due to the warmth of my body and sleeping bag. As my teammates and I lifted the tent to shake out the dirt from inside, which we always

do when un-pitching a tent, the pika began darting around. Finding no nearby burrow to run to, it tried hiding next to my foot.

We caught it with our Explorer’s cap, allowing me to have a real good look at it. While I could not tell its gender, I prefer to think it was a she. After taking some close-up photos, I let it go. It stayed under my new Land Rover for a while before heading back into a hole in the ground.

In recent times, the pika has come to signify environmental changes on the plateau, which reflect the larger global warming picture.

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CERS has been supporting the study of a rare pika which lives on the high pastures of the Tian Shan in Xinjiang. The Yili Pika symbolizes a climate trend which is becoming more apparent throughout inner Asia and much of the world. The little animal chooses as its habitat a belt just below the snowline of the high mountains. This may be to protect then from predators like wolves and eagles which prefer slightly lower elevations. As the snowline climbs higher each year due to global warming, the pika moves higher, too.

Wong How Man Bianba, Tibet – July 10, 2009

LEFT: Campsite in eastern Tibet

TOP: At foot of a glacier

BOTTOM: With monks at Banda near Bienba


On this expedition, we witnessed many glaciers which had receded huge distances within local people’s recent memory. At one campsite, we set our tents inside a glacial valley within sight of and hiking distance to a group of active glaciers. Avalanches used to expose ice sheets compacted below the heavy snow. Today, they expose huge sections of naked rock on the mountain, a sign the snowfield is thinning.

The glaciers and ice fields that used to feed the important river systems of Asia are drying up and not being replenished as snowfalls grow more sporadic. Bouts of drought which scorch the land are becoming routine rather than occasional. While modern technology provides us with better short-term weather forecasts, we can no longer predict our seasons and yearly climate like our ancestors did. Their knowledge, once based on repeated patterns and experience, is less helpful, as mankind’s actions have disrupted the patterns.

While the world is finally paying belated attention to our environment and trying to turn around an adverse trend, it may be a bit too late. As I traveled on this expedition across Central Tibet, I witnessed desertification along much of the terrain. Entire rivers and streams have completely dried up, even during the current rainy season. A river we used to fish in 15 years ago ran dry. Nomads who used to live nearby were nowhere in sight. They and their livestock which depend heavily on former pasture had had to relocate, looking further afield for green pastures. The situation is dire.

At one glacial valley, we observed a flock of vultures converging near a river. Among the common Himalayan Griffon were a few different-looking vultures. I spotted one with bright red on its bald head. Later I saw another one with a slightly reddish color, likely to be a sub-adult bird of the same species. While I am no ornithologist and could not identify these birds with certainty, they may be red-headed vultures which have never been reported in Tibet but are from India way to the south. They are listed as critically endangered and have become dangerously close to extinction in their usual range. Their appearance this far north, though offering a nice surprise, may be another indicator of climate change.

The Yili Pika may be one of the first species to yield to climate change. As the snowline receded upwards, they moved higher and higher up the mountain. Eventually, the population became isolated in cone-like habitats which could not cross-breed with others of their kind. My tent mate living at a slightly lower elevation may not be in crisis yet, but her cousin’s fate is ringing an alarm bell for the rest of us.

At our first camp site, we were delighted to see a rainbow as we were setting up our tents. Within moments, clouds rushed in through the mountain pass toward us and suddenly it was hailing. This phenomenon seems to reflect the attitude of our generation – enjoy now and worry later. I hope the order can be reversed, though. Let us weather tough times before coming upon brighter days. Man should have the wisdom to turn our climate deterioration around and keep our planet beautiful. Like the pika sharing my tent, we are all bedmates with nature, whether we like it or not.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Glacier valley near

Bianba; pika of the plateau; the mouse hare in

an Explorer’s cap; vulture with red head

CHINA EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH SOCIETY CHINA EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH SOCIETY PAGE 19PAGE 18 CHINA EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH SOCIETY CHINA EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH SOCIETY PAGE 19

RESTING PLACEOF THE SLAUGHTER KNIFEGom-Gonsar Monastery of Tibet

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Song Haokun Kunming, Yunnan – August 2009

Main statue of Gom-Gonsar Monastery


Lay down your slaughtering knife and take root as a Buddha” is a celebrated Buddhist saying and a common Chinese idiom. In

Buddhist teachings, it means even someone who is a killer can redeem himself and be liberated as long as in his heart he truly repents his past.

Symbolically, such redemption can occur in just a short moment. Put down your sword or knife and you can become a Buddha. As more and more people reckon with this philosophy, it becomes a persuasive tool to teach people to acknowledge their sins, make amends and become a good person.

For a wretched soul to change his behavior, he must put down the slaughtering knife in his heart. But the tools used in such detestable acts – a sword, knife, gun, or any violent weapon – cannot simply be left alone or just anywhere where others may pick them up and be tempted to use them. Kindhearted souls can bring their weapons and deposit them at Gom-Gonsar Monastery.

Gom-Gonsar Monastery is in Biru County of Naqu Prefecture in northern Tibet. It is one of the four most important monasteries of the Kargyu Sect within Tibetan Buddhism. The Tibetan word Kargyu means ‘teaching by mouth’. The monks from this sect used to wear white, and were also commonly known as the White Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Gom is the name of the place; Gonsa means ‘new temple’. It is so called because it is believed that Gom-Gonsa Monastery was the first monastery built in this prefecture.

This monastery has a different karmic location than other Buddhist temples. Situated near the bank of the upper Salween River, from the south it looks like the head of a Garuda, a mythical religious bird. Observed from the north, it resembles the trunk of an elephant, a revered animal in Buddhism. If viewed from above, however, it appears to be in the shape of a white conch horn, a sacred instrument of Tibet.

In Buddhism, the Garuda guards knowledge and wisdom. It is an important instrument in achieving enterprises one sets upon to undertake. The Elephant, on the other hand, symbolizes boundless energy and power. The Conch Horn represents the words of the Buddha, meaning his sacred teachings would spread far and wide. In our mortal world, it signifies success and fame.

So Gom-Gonsa Monastery is a precious site encompassing a mixture of wisdom, range and teachings. It has been blessed by Padmasambhava, founder of Nyingma, the earliest sect in Tibetan Buddhism. For these reasons, no wonder people who repent – including many who take up a vegetarian diet to avoid killing other beings – bring their swords and guns to be deposited inside the monastery to demonstrate their commitment to kindness and compassion.

Legend has it that once such weapons are left here, the Buddha would be pleased and bestow on them patronizing care. Even if the person were to fall into an abyss or cliff, a sacred cloud would appear as a safety net to deliver him heavenward. So many people have left their weapons here that the place looks like a weapons museum.

Many of the monks and nearby devotees choose to be vegetarians. For those living at such a towering elevation, above 4,000 meters, this can be testing indeed. Since the high altitude and cold climate can barely support any agriculture, devout Buddhists are allowed to eat “three cleansed meat”. The three cleanses are “not seeing butcher,

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Gom-Gonsar presiding over hilltop;

Palabeiqing, oldest stupa of northern Tibet; Mani rock pile; guns and

weapons offered to temple; big and small stupas

not hearing slaughter, and not participating in kill” of the animals to be consumed.

As a complement to Gom-Gonsa Monastery, within three kilometers of the monastery stands the famous Palabeiqing Stupa. It is among the 13 most sacred stupas of the Tibetan region. Built in the year 1071, it is now over 930 years old. It is believed the material used in its construction is not stones quarried from earth, but pieces of pure white marble descended from the 33 heavenly skies.

For that reason, the sacred stupa has immense blessing potential. Its sanctification empowerment is equivalent to that of Kailash, the most sacred mountain in Tibet. To circumambulate this stupa once surpassed the blessing of going around other stupas 10 times. Pilgrims and visitors can circumambulate the stupa’s exterior but also enter its inner sanctuary and travel around its interior on two additional levels.

These inner corridors are almost pitch dark, yet painted with murals. Going forward requires being led by the light coming from the heart. While the devoted march on with the fear of

smacking into the wall, there is always a tiny beam of natural light penetrating through at each corner to guide the pilgrims into the next turn. The symbolic meaning is obvious, teaching us mortals to bravely journey on until we see the light, and then continue towards our ultimate destiny.

Though the Palabeiqing Sacred Stupa is remote and distant, every year it hosts more than 100,000 pilgrims from afar. During the fourth moon in the Tibetan calendar, when the Buddha’s birth is commemorated, over 10,000 pilgrims may arrive in a single day.

To circumambulate the stupa 2,500 times, or doing so by prostrating 100 times, is a grand circle pilgrimage. Each completion of a grand circle can rid one of all frustrations, worries and illness. In particular it can neutralize all evils brought about by demons and deities of the underworld.

Not far up the hill from Gom-Gonsa Monastery and the Palabeiqing Stupa is a very large rock. This is considered to be the abode of the guardian god of the monastery and the stupa. Pilgrims hold this rock sacred and make offerings and burn incense here on a regular basis.

Though this monastery and stupa are important religiously, they did not escape the Cultural Revolution’s rein of damage and destruction. Much of the structure and adjacent quarters were ravaged and monks were made to scatter or return to civilian life. Perhaps blessed by the Buddha, important relics and the white marble as well as carved rocks with mantras were all preserved. These became the foundation of the revival of the monastery and the stupa.

Since 1983, due to the monks and lay supplicants’ concerted efforts, the monastery and stupa have been almost fully restored. Though it may look a bit old and ill maintained on the outside, the interior is again decorated with murals, sutras and statues and pagodas of all sizes.

Winter months will see hosts of religious activities, including prayer ceremonies, meditation commencements, sutra recitations, teachings and debates. When spring arrives, so will the beginning of days of monastic dances to receive the arrival of the gods and see the departure of evils. For those who are bent on achieving Nirvana or simply doing kindnesses, you may want to visit Gom-Gonsa Monastery. Put down the slaughtering knife in your heart, and let the free spirit possess you.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Assembly Hall of Gom-Gonsar Monastery; How Man choosing a favorite mask;

Danchen, both Party-Secretary and Rinpoche; modest quarters of Danchen when he was a child monk

A BUDDHA IN DISGUISEWong How Man Biru, Tibet – July 9, 2009

Danchen was born in December 1946. His home was within sight of both the Nu (Salween) River and Gom-Gonsar Monastery in Biru County deep inside Tibet.

At three years old, he entered Gonsar monastery as a monk. Not just an ordinary monk, but one who was specially chosen, or preordained. At five years old, he was enthroned as a reincarnated lama, a successor of someone better known as a Rinpoche or Living Buddha.

Though his early religious studies were at Gonsar monastery, belonging to the Drigung Kargyu Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, he soon moved to Charu monastery where his lineage belongs,

a Nyingma monastery. Thus, he was trained with scholarly knowledge of two of Tibet’s most important and early sects of Buddhism at an early age.

Through some highly unusual circumstances, Danchen was again chosen at the age of 13 by yet another important sect of China in the modern era, the Communist Party. He was specially selected to be sent to the “interior” for education near Xian, the old capital of several of China’s earlier dynasties. The Tibetan Oracle must have been in full play as his fate unfolded in the next few decades.

Upon graduating from high school, Danchen moved on to the Central Minorities Institute in Beijing before he landed in Shanghai’s Fudan University, studying for a degree in Journalism. Later he was assigned to Tibet, working first as a reporter in Lhasa and later as bureau chief for a number of prefectures within Tibet, including a stint at the far-flung corner of Ngari.

At the age of 37, he became a member of the Standing Committee of Tibet Autonomous Region, an inner-circle position sought after by all senior cadres within the party. By 1985, he was named Vice-Party Secretary of Tibet, a highly unusual position for someone under 40, and more so for someone with the background of a former monk and Rinpoche.

Until 2000, Danchen had served as Vice-Party Secretary with five successive Party Secretaries of Tibet, including during the two-year period when Hu Jintao was Party Secretary. He worked for two years in Beijing before being transferred in 2002 to Yunnan as Vice-Party Secretary, serving in a provincial leadership role for seven years.

Due in part to his long writing and publishing career, simultaneously he held important and much-respected posts within the country as Vice-Chairman of the Chinese Writers Association as well as the Federation of Literature and Art, posi-tions he kept even beyond his recent retirement from government.

Today, Danchen makes his home in Kunming. He remains active, especially among his many fans and followers whom he has amassed during his long and distinguished career. Always donning a Tibetan felt hat over his well-shaved head, Danchen is returning to his roots. Often wearing a saffron tunic, he can be seen attending ceremonies and rituals of his chosen spiritual realm.

Danchen has visited CERS both in Hong Kong and Zhongdian, and is a close friend of How Man and the Society. A sacred mask of Aqi, a female guardian deity, which Danchen used to perform a religious dance at Gonsar Monastery when he was 13 now graces the entrance to the Tibetan exhibit at our Zhongdian Center.


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FORGOTTEN CORNER OF TIBETChen Limei Lhasa, Tibet – July 2009

Igazed upon this map filled with Tibetan names, some quite familiar and heart-warming. I feel fortunate as a CERS staff member that I managed to visit many of these places on the plateau. But this trip to northern Tibet has taken me to many unfamiliar places, and I still do not know the names of some

of them. But that doesn’t matter. Even in deep corners unknown to the outside world, there are stories waiting to be told.

On July 10, our team set out to visit a few nomad homes at the foot of a nameless glacier near our campsite. We wanted to buy some yak-related objects or products for our future exhibit on this subject. As we reached the door of one home, we saw a young couple about 30 years of age with a group of small children who appeared to be between the ages of 5 and 11. They were chatting away while struggling to get in front of our cameras to be caught on film. They also showed a lot of curiosity about our group which descended upon them as if from nowhere.

I asked a few basic questions about the family as part of our survey of the community. But differences in our spoken Tibetan dialect posed some obstacles. We politely obtained permission to enter their home. Once inside this mud-walled house, it took us

a while to adjust to the darkness. There was hardly any furniture to speak of, and we huddled close to a simple fire hearth offering dim lighting. Next to the hearth were a couple of beds with some old blankets and clothing on top, and little else.

Two small heads suddenly protruded out of the blankets from the bed to the right. Seeing strangers inside their home, they quickly ducked back under the covers. I glanced around the place tak-ing mental notes, and spotted two small earthen yaks about eight to ten inches long on the family altar. One even had saddlebags sculpted on it. I picked them up and began to negotiate a price as I sat upon the bed.

Suddenly I felt I was sitting on something soft and raised the blanket to uncover a pair of girls, about six or seven years old, sleeping soundly. Not wanting to disturb their dreams, I stood up and continued to negotiate for the hand-made yak artifacts. As I was studying the second yak in detail, I heard coughing behind me.

I turned around to see a lovely little wide-eyed baby, waving as if welcoming the arrival of our party. She had a high forehead, a

Perhaps they belong to some administrative entity like a district or production team? Didn’t the government body teach them about our country’s birth-control policy and family planning? What about education for the children? They must have heard about such national policies. All these questions continued to baffle me as we drove off.

Perhaps one day, I would learn the name of this nameless place on the map. By then perhaps they may have a road, a school, elec-tricity and other trappings of contemporary life. How I wish to see a beautiful future for this family. I have faith that a bright spot in the heart can shine upon even a forgotten corner of the map.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: A caravan on the march; home in the hidden enclave;

infant inside Tibetan home; milking yak herd

white and round face with tiny cherry-like lips. Her black hair was full and curly: She would surely grow up to be a beauty.

As we were ready to leave, another young boy, aged about nine, jumped from the foot of the bed with the baby and ran out of the house just ahead of us. We followed him outside and returned to our camp to pack up. One of our team members, Eufang, was chatting about our visit, and said the most astonishing thing. “The lady of the house said in all seriousness that if I wanted her, she would give me that little baby that she had. She found it difficult to raise yet another child.”

Who would ever give away her own child to a stranger, I thought, let alone such a sweet looking baby girl? Suddenly I wondered just how many children lived in that household. Six had been asleep inside; did those gathered outside belong to it as well?

Her home may have lacked many things, but there was certainly no shortage of children. Perhaps giving away a child is as simple as giving away a chicken – maybe even more so?

I was struck by a sense of sadness and loss. I sighed thinking of the fate of the baby girl and the family’s living conditions. They have no modern conveniences such as utilities, telephones, televi-sions, computers. What do they do in their spare time? What are their aspirations and desires? Under what circumstances and con-victions did their parents bring them into this world?


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INTERNS SAVOUR EXOTIC EXCURSIONSPaul Buzzard, PhD, Field Biologist

If variety is the spice of life then the student interns, Education Officer Xiao Yao and I had an immensely savory summer as we travelled to CERS sites around the plateau of

Yunnan and tropical Hainan Island. The first interns arrived in mid-June bringing along different experience, skills and interests: Will, a geography student at Ohio Wesleyan University, Stephanie, a Masters student in East Asian Studies at Columbia University, and Nick, a recent high school graduate bound for college in San Francisco.

The interns hit the ground running and started mapping Shangri-la Old Town and the Napahai Black-necked Crane Center in relation to Shangri-la, as well as making improvements to exhibitions at the CERS museum in Old Town. They also visited some of the sites around Shangri-la and were fortunate to observe the few Black-necked Cranes still lingering around Napahai before migrating to the summer nesting ground higher on the plateau.

We then travelled to the Tibetan mastiff kennel at Guji and the Dongzhulin nunnery, both CERS project sites. During the first afternoon we toured the kennel to play with the new puppies while enjoying a stunning view of the sacred Khawakarpo Mountains. I wanted to map nearby hikes and assess their suitability for eco-tourists, so we set out the following day for hikes

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: How Man with

Wisconsin professor Lynn Jermal and

student interns; a sumptuous dinner at Afang’s

Karma Café in Old Town Shangri-la; students

working diligently; interns in flowering meadow

around the kennel. Rain partly dampened these hikes but the weather soon cleared for an epic hike over a pass at 4,800m to a nearby alpine lake. There, we were higher than any mountain in the lower 48 states of America. We saw an abundance of wild flowers, with yaks grazing around the lake.

On our return to Shangri-la, we welcomed back the CERS expedition from Tibet and were joined by Arthur, a recent high school graduate bound for the University of Southern California. We then travelled to the Mei Xiang yak cheese factory near Langdu village. During this trip, the interns got their first taste of some of the difficulties that surround expeditions: The road to Langdu over 4,600m passes was slick from recent rains and heavily rutted from large trucks. Despite some excellent driving from Frankie, we eventually had to push the van through some difficult spots and onward to the cheese factory.

It was again a priority to map hikes and we soon arrived at a nearby pristine sub-alpine lake. While going through old growth forest, we looked for signs of deer. After appreciating the flowers and vistas around the lake we continued up to a higher and even more pristine lake. In subsequent days the interns collected flowers to add to the herbarium, toured the cheese factory, made and sampled the cheese and visited traditional Tibetan homes in Langdu for an all-round experience.

Back at Shangri-la we met Prof Lynn Jermal from Wisconsin River Falls and five students. Several were suffering from headaches, brought on by lengthy travels, jetlag – and high altitude. The Wisconsin group soon continued on to the Tacheng Golden Monkey/Lisu Hill Tribe site while we rested in Shangri-la and enjoyed a highlight of this summer: the solar eclipse. It was not a total eclipse as hoped for, but the weather was great and from the patio in front of our Zhongdian Center we had an excellent view of the moon overshadowing the sun. When it was 99.2% complete, the eclipse allowed us a glimpse of the corona as well as brief views of Venus and some of the brightest stars.

We then made a quick trip to Tacheng to reunite with the Wisconsin students. They had made some great improvements to our Lisu museum exhibits including labeling many of the items on display. I was able to lead some of the students on hikes up the adjacent ridge-top through some more lush and humid forest and up to the ruins of some old cabins. Hopefully, on such hikes in future we will catch a glimpse of the golden monkeys.

Our last trip for the summer was to the tropical Hainan Island, a radical change from the edge of the Tibetan plateau in northwest Yunnan. We were joined by Sharon, an architecture student from California. Jamie, Darren, Christie and Karl are all recent high school graduates from Hong Kong and the US. While the students mapped the Li village of Hong Shui and collected artifacts to develop future museum exhibits, I was in charge of identifying hiking trails for future visitors. I found an interesting trail that began at a small village upriver from Hong Shui along a river tributary and winds past rice fields and into the forest.

Hiking with students in the river was fine, if a little slippery at times. But in the forest there was another inconvenience to consider: leeches. At times the ground and low plants were thick with these bloodsuckers trying to hang on to us. Brushing them off boots or pants was one thing, but pulling them off your legs or taking off your socks to find fat satiated ones was a different experience, one I’m sure the students will not soon forget. But I’m also sure they will always remember the beautiful forest and the rice paddies with huts we saw upriver. I had not expected any settlements this far inside the forest. It leaves me wondering what more we might find if we were to hike further into the unknown.


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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Stunning

butterfly, unique beetle, scary scorpion

and creepy spiders from Hainan;

interns hiking through a stream; Cory

showing off wounds to his thigh and

ankle; interns Karl, Cory, Will and

Deanna waiting to become leech bait.

DIE-HARD LEECHES OF HAINAN ISLAND“Leeches were our inseparable companions during our sojourn in the Le country. Along the path from the ends of grass blades and branches of shrubs, they may be seen holding by one end while they hold out their whole length, feeling on every side for prey. The instant they touch the foot or hand, or any part of the body, they take fast hold and can only be detached by the application of fire, or when they are sated with blood. It is impossible to escape them.

“All means of subduing them failed, and it became a regular habit on arrival at any place to first sit down and pick off the leeches, which we were careful to destroy with hot coals, to prevent them from injuring others...Unfortunately the scientific name of these Hainan leeches was unknown to us, and all ordinary epithets failed to restrain them in their thirst for blood.”Benjamin Couch Henry, 1886 in Hainan

As the distant recesses of Hainan Island are still relatively unexplored, there is much to learn. We may even discover a new species of leeches. Sarcasm aside, the problem at hand is quite real. I quickly fetched the cure-all Yunnan white powder and applied it to the interns’ wounds. I assured them that even American soldiers during the Vietnam War found this miracle drug the best way to stop bleeding and prevent infection.

Leeches can be terrestrial, freshwater or marine living species. Most are from 1 centimetre to 5cm long, but some from the Amazon grow up to 30cm. Although not all leeches feed on blood, the ones in Hainan’s forests certainly do. They have heat-sensing ability and are able to attach to any warm-blooded animals passing near them, or even inch along after their prey.

After attaching themselves, the leeches can remain undetected as they use a natural anesthetic that keeps a victim from feeling them. It also injects an anticoagulant to keep the blood flowing as it sucks up nutrient to satiate itself. Its tiny thin body transforms into a bloated fat worm. Thankfully leeches are not known to spread diseases, and in fact have been used medicinally for bloodletting as far back as 2500 BC in Egypt and in other ancient civilizations. A recent review in the journal Acta Zoologica Sinica indicated there may be new medical applications for leech anticoagulants. So perhaps one day we will come to appreciate these bloodsuckers.

Having leeches feast upon you is a standard tropical forest experience and a great conversation starter at cocktail parties. If reading abaout leeches is repulsive, we can offer other juicy subjects from deep inside Hainan’s jungle. There is a large variety of glorious butterflies, a spectacular transparent beetle with a golden body inside, and fireflies that fill the night skies. Within our project site, we even found a peculiar looking spider with a curved shell that resembles an F-16 fighter plane.

Centipedes are prevalent, providing perfect dietary protein for the many chickens scratching around the village.

Topping them all are scorpions. Twice I discovered these tiny lovely babies, with tails upturned, inside my bathtub just as I had stripped and prepared to fill my bath with water. Now they have become exhibitionists in a bath of their own – a jar of alcohol. They will take pride of place in our future display of exotic creatures of Hainan Island.

The leeches, too, will go on show. Expect to see two of them, one a tiny, hungry leech, the other a fat satiated one, bloated with blood from one of our student interns.

Though the current trip is my seventh in two years, I was not aware leeches were living within close proximity to us until I saw my corps of student interns marching into camp after their morning hike. Their clothes were dotted were blood-stained patches. Karl had several open wounds near his toes, and Cory sported red on his chest and buttock. It looked as if they had just returned from combat.

Combat certainly it was, when they braved their way through bushes and shrubs, following CERS Field Biologist Dr Paul Buzzard along a new path into the nearby mountains. The plan is to offer such hikes as part of an ecotourism package. If blood-letting and feeding ourselves to the hungry leeches can be considered ecofriendly, we certainly have a new selling point for marketing such tours.

Leeches, or ma huang, as they are called in Chinese, are closely related to earthworms but many aspects of their taxonomy are still contentious.

In Henry’s days, when he asked the locals the best form of payment for his coolies, the answer was opium. Over a hundred years later, opium has long been eradicated. The Li minority’s culture of using tattoos on women’s faces is also fading, and the rare Black Gibbon of Hainan is

almost extinct. But leeches, those die-hard bloodsuckers, continue to survive and thrive.

Wong How Man Hong Shui, Hainan Island


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CAUGHT ON THE THIN EDGE OF A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSEWong How Man CERS Zhongdian Center, Yunnan – July 22, 2009

MAIN: Eclipse almost at its height

RIGHT: Map with error showing Zhongdian (in red circle) within eclipse belt

Everyone was up by 7am and breakfast was served quickly. By 8am, more than 20 of us were out in front of the CERS Center on a wooden deck with the big open sky above. Some people had come a long way to get here, just for this very special

morning.

Months ago, we had received information online from NASA, the US space agency. They had created a NASA Eclipse website about this special total solar eclipse scheduled for July 22. Astronomers and scientists calculated and predicted that a total eclipse of such length and duration – up to six and a half minutes, and with width band of up to 258 kilometers – happens only once in centuries. The next total eclipse to surpass this momentous one would not be until 2132, or 123 years later.

The eclipse was supposed to begin in India and continue through an arched swath visible along a narrow corridor covering part of Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Tibet, central Sichuan, Hubei and Shanghai until it reached south of Japan’s Ryuku Islands in the Pacific. A map from the NASA 2009 Eclipse Bulletin showed the eclipse path and coverage with the central line of the eclipse and adjacent area for best viewing positions.

Zhongdian, where CERS has our center (for some unknown reason pinpointed as one of only two places specified by names on map Figure 10 under India-Burma-China) is directly inside the two-minutes-of-viewing line. The other place name on this same chart is Dibrugarh along the upper Brahmaputra River in India. Further east, the charts (Figures 11 and 12, and so on) show more city names.

Based on this map chart, our Zhongdian Center, the Lisu/Golden Monkey site and the Mastiff Kennel are all within projection of viewing coverage of this total eclipse. It was anticipated that the Mastiff Kennel, being our northernmost site, would have up to four and a half minutes of total eclipse whereas Zhongdian Center would have two minutes and the Lisu site a little less, being further south. Groups of friends spread out and stationed at different sites, the Harvard Alumni at the mastiff site, and a professor and students from Wisconsin at our Lisu site.

For two mornings before the eclipse, some of us were up early to check the sun’s position at 8am just as it rose above the tree line on the crest of the mountain next to our center. We knew that for our area the eclipse would begin around 8:30am and was to continue until almost 9:30am, with the total eclipse happening right around 9am. So we prayed that the sky would not be overcast or foggy on July 22 so we would have the best viewing opportunity. Barton Choy, an old friend and avid amateur astronomer from California, gave a briefing to explain the unusual but natural phenomenon, as well as what to expect and look out for during the height of the event.

We knew there would be many guests and student interns staying with us during this time, so we purchased in advance a large number of special viewing spectacles. We explained to all our guests and staff that directly viewing the eclipse could be extremely harmful to the eyes, and even cause permanent damage. Even the local police chief brought his colleagues to our center, anticipating the use of our best viewing devices.

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Dr Bleisch, CERS Science Director, set up one of our Swarovski spotting scopes with 20-60 viewing power, but took extraordinary caution to make sure a solar viewing glass covered the entire intake lens. Any misstep could jeopardize the viewer’s eyes when the sun is magnified multiple times. Cao Zhongyu, our video assistant, also set up one of our cameras with a similar solar-viewing device so that anyone could look through it at the eclipse with ease.

While there were some occasional clouds, most of the time we could see the sun in full. The sun’s full silhouette was strong enough to penetrate any clouds. At 8:23, we watched the moon’s crescent shape begin to edge over the sun from the lower left hand corner. It happened so very slowly, heightening our excitement gradually.

The sun’s silhouette grew smaller and smaller, first a quarter of darkness, then half, followed by only a quarter of light. By then the air grew chilly – CERS center is at 3,200 meters elevation – as the light dimmed. There was an eerie feeling as around us the day

time felt like evening and then twilight. Just before 9am, the last sliver of the moon-like sun slipped into a a mere tiny bright dot as we scanned the skies for the day-time stars, just like looking up at the night sky.

Barton had told us beforehand that we should be looking out for showing of winter stars and constellations upon the sky, though now we were in the middle of summer. Earlier, using a piece of paper with a pin-hole, he demonstrated how the lit area in the shadow of our trees took on crescent shapes just like the sun’s.

I caught a glimpse of one of the brighter stars to the east, maybe another planet, and was holding my breath for the approach of total darkness, the thrill of a lifetime during a total eclipse. Everyone around me was also in anticipation of that final moment. But that moment evaded us all. In less than five minutes after the sun had been reduced to a tiny speck, it began to grow into a very thin crescent again. We had viewed an almost-total eclipse, missing it by just a teeny-tiny edge.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: CERS team during eclipse; crowd watching outside CERS Center;

CERS staff fascinated by nature’s spell; sun almost blinded by moon

As the birds started chirping to greet a second sunrise in one morning, we knew our waiting had been in vain. We would not be viewing a total eclipse afterall.

As an appendix to this NASA map that we used, it cited: “Predictions for the Total Solar Eclipse of 2009 Jul 22 were generated using the VSOP87/ELP2000-82 solar and lunar ephemeredes and a value of AT=66.5 seconds. The accuracy of the northern and southern edges of the eclipse path are limited to approximately 1-2 kilometers due to the lunar limb profile.” The wording of the notation was confusing but sounded quite technical, and being a novice I had full confidence in its authority. Even Barton had accepted NASA’s published data with absolute faith.

Alas, our confidence in NASA was ill-founded. In retrospect, had we based our expectations and viewing plans on another site of the eclipse prepared by Google, the result would have been very different. Enter the coordinates of Zhongdian of Latitude 27.8038N and Longitude 99.7147E and it would have told

us our site was in a Partial Solar Eclipse with a Magnitude of 0.992 – just a fraction short of being total. It even gives the start at UT00:03:23.1, maximum at UT01:06:55.1 and ending at UT02:18:27.3.

For decades, I have been a fan of NASA, so much so that the little hibernation icon on my computer is an astronaut walking in space. I have many friends who are scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. We used data collected from several Space Shuttle Missions including the second flight in 1981, and later radar SIR B and C images from 1984 and 1994 Shuttle flights. Recently I even had the opportunity to meet several of the best- known astronauts including Buzz Aldrin, Gene Cernan and Tom Stafford.

But when it came to my first chance to view a total solar eclipse, NASA let me down. In a future incarnation several centuries from now, when I have an opportunity to see another such eclipse, I will again look towards the heavens, but not necessarily with NASA as my guide.


C E R S I N T H E F I E L D

TOP: Student Intern team at

CERS Hainan site

MIDDLE: CERS expedition

team at glacier of Tibet

LOWER LEFT: Students view

Black-necked Cranes with

Swarovski optics; Zhou Chen

Su with too many cameras

n Debra Meiburg, Master of Wine, tasted our new season’s yak cheese and made valued suggestions regarding flavoring techniques.

n Ranee May, a professor of agricultural science from the University of Wisconsin in River Falls, completed her fourth tour for CERS, to train Tibetans in perfecting their yak cheese production.

n Two new books with stories and photographs, one on nature and the other on culture, were written by Wong How Man and published by Taiwan’s Commonwealth Publishers.

n Archival work began on our huge collection of photographs which involves organizing and scanning almost a quarter million important images. Two designated staff are directing and conducting the work.

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SCERS IN THE MEDIA

n An award was given by Asian Geographic Magazine under the Best of Exploration category for Wong How Man’s contribution of “Tibetan Odyssey” in Issue No.12 January-February 2002.

n How Man joined a group of veteran CNAC pilots at the yearly reunion in San Francisco. Many of these pilots flew the Hump during the War.

n CERS entertained the first trial group in ecotourism at our project sites in Yunnan, organized by the Harvard Alumni in Hong Kong.

n In collaboration with the Inle Princess Resort at Inle Lake of Myanmar, the Burmese Cat Café is finally open to public as a place for visitors to appreciate the dozens of pedigree Burmese cats now born in Myanmar as a result of the joint CERS project.

n Students and a professor from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University visited the CERS site in Hainan to research several documentary films they plan to make later this year.

n Many student interns participated in CERS summer program at various project sites: Karl Cook, Christie Chu, Stephanie Kwai, Nick Lam, Jamie Lee, Bethany Leech, Arthur Li, Darren Patterson, Deanna Robinson, William Ruzek, Daniel Selon, Kendra Smith, Cory Windorff and Haiya Zhang.

n How Man delivered lectures in Suzhou to a World President’s Organization (WPO) Forum, in Singapore at a dinner hosted by patron Derrick Quek, in San Francisco at the CNAC reunion, and in Brighton, UK, at the Roedean School.

n CERS friend Benjamin Lung opened his new W52 restaurant in Hong Kong which will feature select film footage of CERS projects at designated time.

l Riz Khan, host of the popular One-on-One program on Al Jazeera TV Channel, produced a half-hour personality feature of How Man based on an interview he did with him in New York. The channel reaches 175 million households throughout the world.

l CCTV aired a feature on CERS project that is involved in satellite tracking of the Black-necked Cranes at Napahai near our Zhongdian Center.

l Geographical Magazine, the journal of the Royal Geographical Society in the UK, published a major article about the current CERS project on Hainan island.

l Hainan Daily, the province’s most important paper, published a three-page story about CERS project at the last remaining Li village.

l RTHK radio of Hong Kong interviewed How Man as part of a panel discussion on the current situation in Xinjiang.

l A new book authored by Teng Ming Yee devotes one chapter to How Man and his career.

l An academic paper “Li Nationality Culture Protection & Tourism Devlopment” that uses the CERS project site as a case study has been published by Hou Ying-ying and Zhang Fan in the journal Yunnan Geographic Environment Research.

Yak cheese tasting by Debra Meiburg, MW, with Ellen and How Man Ranee May with team at cheese factory of Longdu

CHINA EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH SOCIETY

Hong KonglGigi ArnouxlKevin ChaulBen ChanglJames ChenlWilliam E. ConnorlWilliam FunglHans Michael JebsenlThomas & Linda LaulChristabel & Ricky LaulSammy & Wendy LeelAudrey LolKevin LolDavid MonglDaniel Ng

lDanny & Eva PattersonlStephen SuenlHamilton TanglJames & Mary TienlMichael TienlNissim TselKenneth & Linda WanglPatrick WanglDora WulMarjorie YanglSonny YaulWellington & Virginia YeelLulu YulBilly Yung

OverseaslEric ChenlScott & Signe CooklJudith-Ann CorrentelEster GoelkellJoel HorowitzlBarry LamlLady McNeicelLinda MulElsa PerettilDerrick QueklOliver Silsby

CorporatelCity Developments LimitedlCathay Pacific AirwayslCoca-ColalDragonairlEu Yan Sang Int’l LtdlIDS GrouplLand RoverlOmegalSampo GrouplTumi, Inc.lUBS

T H A N K Y O U T H A N K Y O U

n Buzz Aldrin, the NASA astronaut who landed on the moon with the Apollo 11 mission, visited Hong Kong as a guest of Omega. Many CERS patrons attended the dinner.

n Omega has issued a special CERS edition Seamaster watch with two different color choices. Each model is limited to only 361 pieces with engraving of a CERS emblem in the back. This is in recognition of our exploration and conservation work as well as for support of CERS.

n Nancy Allison Wright allowed CERS access to two old films, taken by her father between 1929 and 1939 in China. The hour-long footage covered a period in China when film records were scarce. Ernest Allison was Operations Manager and Chief Pilot of the fledgling airline CNAC. Allison mentored Claire Chennault of Flying Tiger fame prior to his arrival in China.

n Several US patrons continued their support of CERS. They are Scott and Signe Cook, Judith Corrente and Joel Horowitz. David and Gina Chu also made a contribution to CERS.

n The Moritz Foundation made another major donation to CERS for 2009.

n Eric Chen, CERS Director from Taiwan, continued his funding support for CERS.

n Kevin Chau, Kevin Lo and Stephen Suen continued as CERS patrons in Hong Kong.

n Dennis Cicetti made a donation to CERS.

CURRENT PATRONS

A subscription to this newsletter is US$100 for three issues. All proceeds support CERS projects.

Please contact us directly if you are interested in signing up. See the bottom of page two for contact details.

The production of China Explorers is made possible through the generous contributions of Toppan Vite Limited

CERS’ MISSION:The mission of CERS is to EXPLORE remote regions

of China, conduct multi-disciplinary RESEARCH, CONSERVE nature and culture, and EDUCATE through dissemination

of results in popular channels.

UPPER: CERS patrons and guests dining with

NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin;

LOWER: Omega’s CERS special edition watch

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