Life On The Roof Of The World ‘

Living on the Changtang plateau with an average altitude of 4,500 m, the Changpa nomads raise sheep for meat, butter and wool for wool.
Life on the 'roof of the world' Changtang plateau
The Changtang Plateau in the Himalayas stretches 1,600 km from southeastern Ladakh, India to northwestern Tibet, China. With an average altitude of 4,500 m above sea level, this place has a very harsh climate with dry summers, thunderstorms, hail and cold arctic winters. Surrounded by pristine mountain peaks, Changtang also owns deep blue, jewel-like lakes in the sky. In Changtang there is a nature reserve, located in the auxiliary area of Ladakh, at an altitude of 4,200 m - 5,800 m, with the terrain of deep gorges and plateaus

. This world's second largest nature reserve has about 11 lakes, 10 swamps, the majestic Indus River flowing through. It is home to more than 1,000 species of wildlife, including yaks, antelopes and Tibetan donkeys. To visit Changtang, visitors need a permit that costs thousands of dollars Photo: Tibet Travel.




Changtang nomads are called Changpa. As of 1989, there were about half a million people in the plateau. They depend on cattle. Due to the extreme weather conditions, the Changpa people live in small settlements with one or more families for several months, when the grasslands are still lush green. When the seasons change, they will migrate to another grassland, a few days' walk away. Photo: Jungwa.
The cattle can be adapted to the extreme weather of the plateau However, when heavy snow falls in winter, the Changpa people and the local government may have to import grass from elsewhere, to ensure their survival.



Photo: Darter Photography.
A Changpa settlement can own up to 10,000 animals. When the cattle returned at sunset, the footsteps could create a haze. Each family usually has 100-200 children. The number of cattle is related to the wealth in the community Changpa. Even in the summer, mornings in the Changtang Plateau are very cold. When the early warm rays of the day dawn, the Changpa people will take the sheep out of their pens and shepherd them through the mountains in search of grass. Before going, the goats will be tied together in line for milking, for about 15, 20 minutes.



Goat work will last all day and the Changpa people will only return late in the afternoon. Photo: Tehhanlin / Flickr.
In the community, men do the outdoor work and women do the housework, such as raising children, cooking, and taking care of livestock. However, both sexes are involved in weaving yarn. Men mainly spin and weave yak, used for tents, while women weave wool from wool, thicker and tighter to make coats, hats, and rugs. In the past, a man was considered to be an adult when he knew how to make his own shoes and the same requirement for women was to become a good weaver. However, things have gradually changed with the appearance of roads, the Changpa people easily move between towns, almost every household has gas stoves, tarpaulins, rice and wheat. Photo: Anoop Negi / Flickr.




After settling in one place, the Changta rebuilt tents called rebo, made of yak (a species of yak). Tent weaving can take up to a few months but when finished, they are very durable and can pass from generation to generation. When part of the tent is worn out or torn, they will patch with freshly knit wool. The net was woven sparsely, barely enough for a small fly to fly past. This will help ventilate and catch more sunlight. The strange thing is that the rebo is very warm. When it rains, water will flow out of the surface, but not in. In recent years, the Changta have gradually replaced the traditional rebo with cloth tents or semi-permanent houses, from stone and mud.



Photo: Anoop Negi / Flickr.
Historically, the Changpa people have very little dependence on the outside world. Their main food is barley, which is grown in the lower regions. Salt is taken from lakes in the area. Livestock are a source of meat, butter, milk, wool and skin. Milk and butter are exchangeable and a source of income for families. Photo: Tehhanlin.
Buddhism has influenced the lifestyle of the Changpa people.



The elderly still keep chanting in the early morning prayers. Photo: Cat Vinton.
In a connected world, many Changpa families have moved to live and work in the town of Leh, where children can go to school. However, there are a few who still return to the roots, to continue the work of shepherd. Wool woven from fur is increasingly expensive, helping them to have more income to maintain a lifestyle that is increasingly eroded by the harsh environment and changing world. Photo: Darter Photography.
According to Lan Huong / Vnexpress
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