Overview

"""Brings you closer to the real spirit of Lhasa"" -Dr. Lobsang Sangay, President, Tibetan Government in Exile The most comprehensive account of the fabled city ever written in English, Old Lhasa: A Biography weaves an accessible, detailed, and compelling tapestry of its history, religion, and culture. We explore small customs of great antiquity still seen in the Tibetan Quarter, such as the twirling of hand-held prayer wheels and the coral jewelry adorning the hair of herdswomen. We visit the vital monuments of Tibetan civilization: iconic palaces, temples, and monasteries, such as the magnificent Potala Palace on Marpo Ri, the veritable Jokhang Temple at the heart of the city, and the superbly resurrected Ganden monastery on the mountains outside Lhasa. A natural raconteur, M.A. Aldrich brings to life time-honored legends and charming anecdotes about kings and lamas, ministers and tricksters, which reveal the hidden significance of easily-overlooked side alleys, shrines, and stone houses clustered around the city's most important pilgrims' route, the Barkhor. Old Lhasa is not only an enjoyable traveler's companion for armchair readers, but also a vital resource for the intrepid visitor hoping to come away from the city with a deeper understanding. Following his two well-received books on Beijing and Ulaanbaatar, Old Lhasa is the final book in his trilogy on great Asian cultural capitals. Aldrich is a retired lawyer who has lived in East and Central Asia for more than thirty years."

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9781788692656

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Michael Aldrich is the best kind of guide: sympathetic, knowledgeable and fascinated by esoteric detail that might elude the casual visitor. In Old Lhasa he paints an intricate portrait of a storied city and its history: one which is caught in a struggle in the modern day for its very soul.-Jonathan Chatwin, author of Long Peace Street The author gently coaxes readers through the complexities of Tibetan history and the myriad nuances of Tibetan spirituality, guiding them to places of interest that are accessible, for now, in the capital Lhasa, and peppering the narrative with humorous anecdotes, spicy legends and charming fables.-Michael Gibb, author of A Korean Odyssey and A Slow Walk through Jeong-Dong Aldrich has provided in these pages a whole simulacrum of a country and its wonders. What shines in the book and gives it life is not only his amazing knowledge and understanding of Lhasa and Tibet but also his passion, enormous humor and above all love for its people.-Adam Williams, author of The Palace of Heavenly Pleasure Once again, Michael Aldrich has produced an outstanding narrative focused on one of the most interesting cultural capitals in Asia. Those interested in Tibet as well as China will especially appreciate the extraordinary research that has gone into this book, preserving between two covers a fascinating history that will continue to attract readers for a long time to come.-Jonathan S. Addleton, author of The Dust of Kandahar and Mongolia and the United States: A Diplomatic History Ever informative and never dull. Better than a time machine.-Bill Porter, author of Zen Baggage Aldrich recreates and recaptures not just the magisterial temples and palaces of Lhasa but also the regular backstreets and alleyways that combined define the city. He shows us Lhasa as not just an ancient religious centre but also as a centuries old place of complex daily life, trade and commerce.- Paul French, author of Midnight in Peking and City of Devils A portrait of a city like a tortuous biography of a man. Old Lhasa presents, for the first time, the city through its history, its monuments, and the personal memories of Aldrich's visits and experiences.-Francesco Sisci, author of A Brave New China and Cina e Tibet, Tibet e Cina If you have ever longed to travel to the storied capital of Tibet but, for one reason or another, you've never been able to make it there, you can do no better than to read Old Lhasa. Engagingly written and generously illustrated with contemporary and historical photographs and maps, Old Lhasa takes you on a well-informed tour through time and space of the religious, political, and cultural center of the indomitable Tibetan nation. -Victor Mair, editor of The Columbia History of Chinese Literature Experts will find that Aldrich has shaken the kaleidoscope of the history and geography of Lhasa and Tibet into new and illuminating patterns.-Alan Babington-Smith, President of the Royal Asiatic Society Beijing

Michael Aldrich is the best kind of guide: sympathetic, knowledgeable and fascinated by esoteric detail that might elude the casual visitor. In Old Lhasa he paints an intricate portrait of a storied city and its history: one which is caught in a struggle in the modern day for its very soul. -Jonathan Chatwin, author of Long Peace Street The author gently coaxes readers through the complexities of Tibetan history and the myriad nuances of Tibetan spirituality, guiding them to places of interest that are accessible, for now, in the capital Lhasa, and peppering the narrative with humorous anecdotes, spicy legends and charming fables. -Michael Gibb, author of A Korean Odyssey What shines in the book and gives it life is not only his amazing knowledge and understanding of Lhasa and Tibet but also his passion, enormous humor and above all love for its people. -Adam Williams, author of The Palace of Heavenly Pleasure An outstanding narrative focused on one of the most interesting cultural capitals in Asia. -Jonathan S. Addleton, author of The Dust of Kandahar and Mongolia and the United States: A Diplomatic History Ever informative and never dull. Better than a time machine. -Bill Porter, author of Zen Baggage Aldrich recreates and recaptures not just the magisterial temples and palaces of Lhasa but also the regular backstreets and alleyways that combined define the city. -Paul French, author of Midnight in Peking and City of Devils Old Lhasa presents, for the first time, the city through its history, its monuments, and the personal memories of Aldrich's visits and experiences. -Francesco Sisci, author of A Brave New China and Cina e Tibet, Tibet e Cina Engagingly written and generously illustrated with contemporary and historical photographs and maps, Old Lhasa takes you on a well-informed tour through time and space of the religious, political, and cultural center of the indomitable Tibetan nation. -Victor Mair, editor of The Columbia History of Chinese Literature Experts will find that Aldrich has shaken the kaleidoscope of the history and geography of Lhasa and Tibet into new and illuminating patterns. -Alan Babington-Smith, President of the Royal Asiatic Society Beijing A highly digestible buffet of Tibetan history, anecdotes and encounters with pilgrims and locals in the sacred city of Lamaism. -Bruce Humes, translator of The Last Quarter of the Moon

After his compendious guides to Peking and Ulaanbataar, Aldrich has completed the trilogy with a masterful biography of another ancient Eastern capital. Blending history, religion, topography, geometry, deep readings and street-level insight within his characteristically vivid prose, this sensitive account of how old Lhasa has re-incarnated over the centuries will leave any reader itchy to explore the ghosts of the city themself. -Alec Ash, author of Wish Lanterns Michael Aldrich is the best kind of guide: sympathetic, knowledgeable and fascinated by esoteric detail that might elude the casual visitor. In Old Lhasa he paints an intricate portrait of a storied city and its history: one which is caught in a struggle in the modern day for its very soul. -Jonathan Chatwin, author of Long Peace Street The author gently coaxes readers through the complexities of Tibetan history and the myriad nuances of Tibetan spirituality, guiding them to places of interest that are accessible, for now, in the capital Lhasa, and peppering the narrative with humorous anecdotes, spicy legends and charming fables. -Michael Gibb, author of A Korean Odyssey What shines in the book and gives it life is not only his amazing knowledge and understanding of Lhasa and Tibet but also his passion, enormous humor and above all love for its people. -Adam Williams, author of The Palace of Heavenly Pleasure An outstanding narrative focused on one of the most interesting cultural capitals in Asia. -Jonathan S. Addleton, author of The Dust of Kandahar and Mongolia and the United States: A Diplomatic History Ever informative and never dull. Better than a time machine. -Bill Porter, author of Zen Baggage Aldrich recreates and recaptures not just the magisterial temples and palaces of Lhasa but also the regular backstreets and alleyways that combined define the city. -Paul French, author of Midnight in Peking and City of Devils Old Lhasa presents, for the first time, the city through its history, its monuments, and the personal memories of Aldrich's visits and experiences. -Francesco Sisci, author of A Brave New China and Cina e Tibet, Tibet e Cina Engagingly written and generously illustrated with contemporary and historical photographs and maps, Old Lhasa takes you on a well-informed tour through time and space of the religious, political, and cultural center of the indomitable Tibetan nation. -Victor Mair, editor of The Columbia History of Chinese Literature Experts will find that Aldrich has shaken the kaleidoscope of the history and geography of Lhasa and Tibet into new and illuminating patterns. -Alan Babington-Smith, President of the Royal Asiatic Society Beijing A highly digestible buffet of Tibetan history, anecdotes and encounters with pilgrims and locals in the sacred city of Lamaism. -Bruce Humes, translator of The Last Quarter of the Moon

Author Information

M.A. Aldrich is a retired lawyer who has lived in East and Central Asia for more than thirty years. Originally from a fishing village on East Long Island, he was drawn to the study of Asian culture at a Jesuit university in the United States. Later on, he qualified to practice in California and Hong Kong. After several decades during which he garnered acclaim as a pioneer in PRC telecommunications law, he successfully escaped from the world of Big Law and now resides with his family in north-east Taiwan where he conducts research for further works about traditional Asia.

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