Editor's Note:

Xizang, a region known for its breathtaking landscapes and unique cultural traditions, has long become a target of Western smear campaigns and falsehoods about China. What is the truth? In the "Truth Seen in Xizang" series, the Global Times publishes conversations with and articles from scholars and observers from around the world who have visited the region, sharing their firsthand experience of traveling to Xizang and observing the daily lives of people there. Through their insights and experiences, we aim to present an authentic perspective on the Xizang Autonomous Region. This is the eighth piece of the series.

"Make the lie big and keep repeating it; eventually, people will believe it." The US today is far more proficient with a vast propaganda arsenal - mainstream media and social media with global reach, Google search engine, Hollywood movies and TV shows, hundreds of magazines, prestigious academia willing to repeat state propaganda, worldwide NGOs funded by the US government, and bipartisan collusion in foreign policies.

Recently, there has been a significant uptick in anti-China propaganda regarding Xizang. Consider the titles of some recent articles in the West: "China Steals Language and Home Life from Tibetan Kids," "How China is Erasing Tibetan Culture, One Child at a Time" and "BBC visits heart of Tibetan resistance." Of course, anyone who followed the failed but vicious Western disinformation regarding Xizang over the last few years would immediately recognize the rinse-and-repeat playbook in this atrocity propaganda.

The best antidote to lies is personal observation. While seeing is believing, experiencing is understanding. Recently, I had a wonderful opportunity to experience Xizang firsthand.

In late June, I spent four days traveling hundreds of kilometers in Xizang, exploring small towns and the capital city Lhasa. I stayed in fine hotels with excellent service, spoke to the head of a small town and a foreign ministry official, visited a primary school and a university specializing in Tibetan traditional medicine, attended a mind-blowing Tibetan opera, toured an ancient palace full of fascinating history, worshipped at a Buddhist temple, enjoyed sumptuous Tibetan meals, and joyfully got lost exploring Lhasa all on my own.

For full disclosure, this was a trip of journalists from around the world. I had full access to the internet, which allowed me to conduct my own independent research. Interacting with journalists from Europe, Japan and other regions, and learning their perspectives was invaluable.

While I would like to focus on my visit to a primary school, which was remarkable and left the biggest impression, I want to point out that some of the most popular American propaganda is not just wrong, but also blatant and shameless lies. For example, some US media outlets and Americans on social media repeat assertions that the Tibetan language is banned, that the Tibetan culture is oppressed or that Tibetan Buddhism cannot be practiced - all of which are "fake news."

Every aspect of Tibetan culture is alive and thriving - the language, food, dress, music, dance, cultural norms, architecture and religion.

One can see signs everywhere in Tibetan and Putonghua. In airports, hotels, and other touristic places, English is also added to the mix alongside products such as Lhasa beer. When I got lost, I walked into a beautiful park, where I found a Tibetan group performing soulful traditional dances - accompanied by resonant music - to more than 1,000 spectators. In another part of the park, regular people were receiving free lessons in graceful Tibetan dance. On another stage, musicians were performing Tibetan music.

I also had a chance to visit Tibetan restaurants where I tried exotic food such as yak meat and even yak cheese. At the end of the meal, the generous owner of the restaurant gave me a free bag of yak cheese to take home.

I had the opportunity to chat with a few Tibetans. Although most do not speak English, they were always patient and willing to use translation apps on their smartphones.

I asked a local official about his five-year plans for his town, inquired with my tour guide if his kids follow Tibetan traditions, and listened to a successful Tibetan woman describe how she grew up in the mountains before attending a boarding school and then studying at a college in Beijing. The official, by the way, gave me detailed answers about the town's plans to improve education, housing, healthcare, jobs and so on.

The highlight of my trip was Lhasa, where I visited an amazing primary school that also had some boarding students. We got to meet some fifth and sixth-grade children and see them engaging in extracurricular activities.

On the way to this school, I saw many large schools - all with modern buildings. By the way, the infrastructure in Xizang - especially Lhasa - would put most American cities to shame. The city roads are impeccable and often have multiple lanes divided by bushes or flowers; the sidewalks are spotless with no trash; there are no homeless people or drug addicts; and I felt safe walking alone around the city at midnight.

Thus, at the end of the trip, seeing this primary school looking so modern was not surprising. Many classrooms even had wooden floors - quite fancy. The school was very clean, and all the furniture was very contemporary.

The kids wore very nice uniforms and were well-behaved. We were welcomed with a traditional Tibetan dance by some students.

The school principal was a very intelligent and passionate woman who took great pride in her school and students. She enthusiastically answered all the questions from various journalists - through a translator, as she was not very fluent in English.

We visited several classrooms - one for learning the Tibetan language, one for intellectual board games, one for calligraphy, one for artwork and two for music. The students were a bit shy, but very friendly and polite.

In the Tibetan classroom, I asked if a student could read Tibetan. I thought of Americans on social media: "Okay, the kids can read, but can they speak Tibetan?" The teacher picked an "unlucky" girl, who was gripped with stage fright, but still did a commendable job.

The funding for all the musical instruments and the related teachers in this Tibetan school will undeniably be the envy of administrators in American public schools.

Finally, we also got to see the rooms of the boarding students. With eight kids per large, modern room, the accommodation was more than adequate. These kids live in remote areas where there are no schools. The boarders at the school get to go home every weekend and, obviously, for long summer and winter holidays.

In summary, my visit to Xizang was a true eye-opener. First, the infrastructure in Xizang is world-class. Second, there were no signs of homelessness or drug addiction - making Lhasa better than many American or European cities. Third, the Tibetan culture is flourishing and the people certainly have the freedom and liberty to embrace their traditions - language, religion, dress, food, music, dance and so on. Fourth, the boarding schools are excellent and pragmatic instruments in educating remote and underprivileged Tibetans.

China will keep succeeding because it is focused on improving itself, while the US Empire is obsessed with sabotaging others. The US has a thousand problems - unsustainable debt, de-dollarization around the world, shrinking middle class, extreme inequality, loss of leadership in technology, a deeply polarized society, just to name a few. With so many problems of its own, the last thing the US should do is worry about Xizang.

The author is a geopolitical analyst, columnist, blogger, podcaster, and writer based out of Bangalore, India. His work can be found on Substack, X and more. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn