Forbidden Memory: Tibet during the Cultural Revolution provides a glimpse of the history of the Chinese Cultural Revolution in the Tibetan Region through the power of never-before-seen photographs, detailed interviews, and cultural analysis. The Chinese Cultural Revolution arrived in Tibet in July 1966. Upon its arrival, monasteries were systematically destroyed and libraries were looted, rare books and paintings burned. Buddhist scriptures were used as wrapping paper and the Dalai Lama was declared a criminal. Long veiled in mystery, the events that took place five decades ago on the snowy plateaus of Tibet are known to few outsiders. Under the guise of national unity and modern civilization, Chinese authorities have managed to cover up their reign of terror on the Tibetan plateau. Forbidden Memory: Tibet during the Cultural Revolution provides a glimpse of the history of the Chinese Cultural Revolution in the Tibettan Region through the power of never-before-seen photographs, detailed interviews, and cultural analysis. Denouncing the Chinese government’s invasion of Tibet, writer and activist Tsering Woeser refects deeply on the ethnic character and cultural traditions of Tibet. The collection of photographs in Forbidden Memory were taken by Woeser’s father, and reveal how the Chinese government transformed the once-secluded Buddhist state into a hell on earth - sacred temples demolished, cultural artifacts destroyed, monks and nuns humiliated and beaten, and formidable processions of troops, bedecked with flags and banners and they march through the mountains. Tsering Woeser’s Forbidden Memory brings an end to the silence with an honest look at the disturbing history of Tibet in the latter half of the twentieth century. AUTHOR: Tsering Woeser is a poet, essayist, and blogger and one of the most prominent voices of the Tibetan independence movement. Two of her books have been published in English, Tibet on Fire: Self-Immolations against Chinese Rule and Voices from Tibet: Selected Essays and Reportage. Woeser has received the Prince Claus Award and the U.S. Department of State’s International Women of Courage Award. She lives under close surveillance in Beijing.
345 photographs