New Delhi: An act of profanity by a Chinese tourist, allegedly inside a noted shrine of a Buddhist monastery, saw the Tibetans venting anger and outrage and demanding immediate action against the trespasser.
A wave of anger and fulmination took over social media as the video of a Chinese tourist landed on social media.
In the footage, which went viral soon after hitting social media platforms, the Chinese tourist could be seen drinking liquid directly from a shrine’s altar and then pouring the leftover drink into a butter lamp — an act described as a serious violation of religious beliefs and sanctity by a host of Tibetans.
In a report shared by Phayul, a well-known new portal, the Chinese tourist was caught on camera disrespecting and desecrating the religious place.
Many Tibetans condemned and denounced the shameful act and called it a “blatant insult” to their deity and a “shameless provocation,” stressing that monasteries are sacred spaces and not venues for tourists seeking attention or social media notoriety.
Tibetan netizens emphasised that the act went far beyond ignorance of local customs.
“It’s not that I don’t know the rules. This is not a simple disrespect. It’s humiliating. This is blatant provocation,” said an X user, while another comment read, “The bottom line of culture cannot be trampled. I hope the relevant departments investigate this thoroughly.”
Tsering Woeser, a renowned Tibetan writer and poet, also weighed in on the incident, attributing such behaviour to what she described as long-term tolerance by authorities toward tourists’ misconduct in Tibet.
“The outrageous behaviour of tourists is a direct result of long-term tolerance,” Tsering wrote on her X account.
She also pointed out that under the promotion of “cultural tourism” as one of Tibet’s “nine major industries,” tourists have increasingly become “untouchable figures,” while offences against Tibetan beliefs and customs continue to rise.
(IANS)
