Ｔｈｅ Ｆｌｏｕｒｉｓｈｉｎｇ Ｖｅｇｅｔａｒｉａｎｉｓｍ ｉｎ Ｌｈａｓａ

Ｓｏｃｈｕｎｇ

Vegetarianism is booming in Lhasa. TenzinDrama, Lozang Nyima and Zhang Qiao aretypical of vegetarians in Lhasa. Tenzin is ahousewife and her family always maintainsthe principle that some of their income must be used forrescuing animals. One autumn she saw a couple of des-perately frightened pregnant sheep being pushed to-gether into a blood-covered slaughter area. Since thenshe was determined to be vegetarian. Tenzin has a friendfrom the same hometown whose name is Lozang Nyima.As a quite successful businessman, he meets many peopleand attends many business events, causing him to haveirregular meals all year around. As consequence, be washospitalized on several occasions. Obeying doctors'instructions, he finally gave up alcohol and forced him-self to become a vegetarian. Since then he feels unprec-edented physical wellbeing and good health - releasedfrom unnecessary social intercourse by the good excuseof vegetarianism - and he is satisfied with his decision.He says it seems that two birds were killed by one stone.Zhang Qiao is a nomad from the urban area of Chaozhou.She has traveled around Tibet for couple of years andbelieves that vegetarianism is a lifestyle more in keep-ing with Tibetan culture. She decided this after visitingTibetan monasteries to experience religious life.