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Tumu Monastery Landslide Emergency

A field report provided by the China Exploration and Research Society

by Wong How Man with Julie Gaw

June 1997, Xinlong (Ngarong) County, Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province

[Note: Tumu is the monastery's Chinese name. The Tibetan name is Lumo.]

Summer rainstorms on the Tibetan plateau are sudden, and can turn into devastating snow and hailstorms within moments. They heed few meteorological notions, and much less heed spiritual ones. Storms create flash floods, activate landslides and destroy vital roads, carrying people, villages and livestock in their wake. Minutes later, the skies clear to turquoise blue, oblivious to the devastation heavenly forces have wrought below.

Tumu Gomba (monastery) in western Sichuan sees such rainstorms on a regular basis. High on the Tibetan plateau, Tumu was founded in the late Ming dynasty -- about 350 years ago -- in a pristine mountain valley at 3,700m. It left an indelible picture in my mind when I first saw it in 1991 -- an ancient temple set in a sea of alpine forest, with rivers running blue and clear into the torrents of the Yalong, one of the four main rivers of Sichuan. Few places could be more idyllic.

At that time, I was leading a team to survey Tibetan monasteries in the eastern part of the plateau. We researched the history, architecture, religion and current affairs of eighteen monasteries. Subsequently, CERS selected two monasteries for restoration, Tumu not among them. Tumu Gomba seemed well set for survival, with its pristine surroundings and sturdy structures. The main assembly hall is more than one hundred years old. Most of the monk's quarters are original as well, and undamaged by age -- a rarity among Tibetan monasteries. Its religious murals are intact, and are some of the best I have seen in fifteen years of exploration on the plateau.

Tumu is well known for its medical studies, and boasts many graduates throughout the region. Seventy-year old Qimei, a lama doctor versed in traditional Tibetan medicine, now oversees daily operation of the monastery. Local Tibetans travel from as far away as Ganzi, the prefecture's capital, for medical treatment.

CERS revisited Tumu in 1996, and all was well. Earlier this summer, I drove along the same river leading to Tumu Gomba and could hardly believe my eyes. The alpine forests from the year before had fallen under the axe. Logging activities have devastated the area. Trucks, logging camps and steel wires with pulleys filled the valleys and river gorges -- a sad sight for anyone who values the intrinsic beauty of nature.

As the road climbed closer to Tumu, we wondered when the clear-cutting would end. The familiar forests reappeared only five kilometers from our final destination -- but the line is a tenuous one. It is only a matter of time before the loggers' saws reach the monastery. Traditionally, the Buddhist belief that forests and wildlife near monasteries are sacred keeps the loggers away. However, the law of supply and demand will invariably win out in this case, twenty kilometers of brutally "shaved" forest giving testimony to the forces at work.

I can not help but recall an old Chinese proverb from days of turmoil:

Having bandits pass through is like combing;
having army pass through is like shaving.

This saying reflects a time in China's history when government forces plundered more ruthlessly than even outlaws. Today, those who cut down trees for personal use are akin to thieves. But the government loggers are blessed with forestry quotas -- and herein lie the shameless soldiers.

It is a travesty that the Ministry of Forestry be charged with both exploiting and protecting the forests -- clearly a conflict of interest. Should the Ministry become the sole benefactor of the forest? China is now moving to privatize many sectors. Perhaps privatization of the overweight Ministry of Forestry would help it focus more on a role of sustainable development, monitoring and enforcement.

Such unchecked logging is made even more unfortunate by the fact that it not only denudes the natural beauty surrounding Tumu, but also contributes to its potential destruction. Within the last year, a noticeable landslide has developed on the hill above Tumu, which threatens to carry away the monastic buildings below if left unchecked. The aforementioned summer rains flood this part of an ancient alluvial fan, carrying silt, gravel and rocks down the hill, directly toward the assembly hall of this historic monastery.

Although the monks erected chortens (prayer statues) in the path of the landslide, and no doubt say their prayers, further action is needed to ensure the integrity of Tumu Gomba. CERS geologist Huang Chuxing recommends that the hillside be reinforced with cement, and rain water diverted to the river below. We quickly mobilized a joint team of experts from the Yunnan Geographic Institute and Sichuan Mountain Disaster Control Institute in Chengdu. Their assessment has determined that the damage can be repaired and checked for US$60,000. We are negotiating with the local government to pay half of the amount; CERS hopes to raise at least US$30,000 for immediate action.

We hope to complete the project next year, before the damage to Tumu Monastery becomes irreversible. As always, funding is in short supply. To make your donation to ensure the continued existence of Tumu Gomba, please contact our office as soon as possible. The monks of Tumu monastery will thank you. So will their gods.

If you would like to help support this project to protect Tumu monastery, please contact CERS as soon as possible. If you are a US resident and want your contribution to be tax deductible, contact KAF.