bodhi tree swaying

I’m grateful to BoingBoing for drawing my attention to this rare silent (but color) footage of Tibet in the 1940s.

From the BFI National Film archive, via BoingBoing:

“Tibetan Scenes was made by Tsien-Lien Shen in the early 1940s – he was resident Chinese Commissioner in Lhasa from 1942-47. The colour film records many of the ceremonial events that took place in Lhasa, including the New Year ceremonies, and Shen himself appears in the film. There is also evidence of the presence of the Chinese in Lhasa.

Although the majority of the film focuses on Tibetan ceremonies, there are some invaluable scenes capturing everyday life in Lhasa, as monks, porters, market stall sellers and the occasional yak compete for space.”

This film

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