Harper’s: Buddhism Meets the Chinese Economy

China’s fast-growing economy brings cultural changes and heightens tensions in Tibet. “As in many regions in China’s interior, the government was trying to kick-start development via tourism, promoting Tibetan culture, horse trekking, and hiking,” writes Will Ford for Harper’s. He describes Lhamo, a lopsided community with a main street that straddles two provinces, Gansu and Sichuan. The former is growing fast, with the monks overseeing real estate development and souvenir shops, and the latter is more traditional. Ford explains that the Dalai Lama in the 1990s encouraged his followers to achieve economic self-sufficiency. The Chinese Communist Party encourages development with the hopes of political stability, but chaos also accompanies the rapid pace. Ford writes, “When it comes to integration with the Chinese world, the choice between these two approaches, engaging with Chinese institutions or shunning them, underscores nearly every decision surrounding the plateau’s future.” – YaleGlobal