Ying Wang in Tibet

Associate Professor Ying Wang participated in a pilgrimage, or khora, at the snow-mountain Kangrenboqe (also known as Mt. Gangdis, Tise and Kailas) in Tibet during the summer of 2014. The mountain is the origin of the four great waters of Asia: the Indus, the Ganges, the Yaluzangbu/Brahmaputra, and the Sutlej Rivers. It is believed to be the center of the universe by Bon (the native Tibetan religion), Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain practitioners, and considered the most sacred mountain in the landscape. On the slopes of Mt. Gangdis there are sacred twin lakes, Ma-pham gyu-mtsho and Lag ngar-mtsho. During the year of the Horse in the Tibetan calendar (2014-2015) such a khora accumulates thirteen times the merit. The khora road, a dirt track, lies at an altitude of 4,500-5,700 meters (14,760 to 18,696 ft.), yet all believers are expected to take a khora once in their lifetime. Ying Wang completed her khora with the help of a Tibetan family. She is continuing to study this pilgrimage ritual and will work in Tibet during the rest of her sabbatical.