Hacking the Himalayas

Xeni Tech

Tradition vs. Change in 'Lhasa Vegas'()  

The golden dharma wheel and fawns at Jokhang Temple.

August 11, 2006 Tourists to Lhasa, the ancient heart of Tibetan Buddhism, might find two very different cities — one unchanged by centuries and still clinging to tradition, the other modernizing rapidly along with neighboring China.

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Xeni Tech

A Wireless Network for 'Little Lhasa'()  

Yahel Ben-David, at top, adjusts a mesh antenna

August 10, 2006 The volunteers building the "mesh" network in Dharamsala are linking an ancient culture to the modern world on the cheap, using recycled computers and piggybacking on existing towers — even Buddhist and Hindu temples are sporting antennas.

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Xeni Tech

Connecting Tibet's Exile Community via the Web()  

Lobsang Tsomo models an Internet phone headset.

August 9, 2006 Two full generations of Tibetans have grown up outside their native land, but the expatriate community remains close-knit and many still dream of returning to a country free of Chinese domination. Until then, they are embracing the Web as a key to their future.

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Xeni Tech

The Gaddi People of Dharamsala()  

The sun sets over the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas above the village of Satobri.

August 8, 2006 The nomadic Hindu tribe has dwelled in the shadows of the Himalayas in Northern India for countless generations. Before Tibetan refugees and Western tourists arrived, they were the dominant ethnic group — but as development looms, their culture is changing.

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