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EVEN with no formal training in Tibetan studies, Xiang Hongjia works to bridge the gap between Tibet and the rest of the world.

In 1978, when the national college entrance examination was restored and teachers were badly needed at the college level, Xiang Hongjia, a 1968 graduate of the Beijing Normal College English Department, was assigned to teach English at the Division of Graduate Students of the Central Institute of Nationalities. Her students were specializing in the ancient Tibetan language. When she paraphrased in English the Chinese Buddhism by Buddhist laity Zhao Puchu, Director of the Buddhist Association of China, she never expected she would soon be specializing in Tibetology.

Teaching just wasn't enough for energetic Xiang Hongjian. She said she needed something else. So in her spare time she began translating stories from English to Chinese and sent her translations to publishing houses. Time crept on. Finally an answer came, "Sorry, these stories have already been published." This dampened Xiang Hongjia's enthusiasm.

While seeking new opportunities, an idea occurred to Xiang Hongjia. "Why not learn Tibetan from my students and do translations from Tibetan to English and English to Tibetan?"

Xiang Hongjia, 51, is a Tujia woman from Hunan Province. She grew up in Beijing and later developed an interest in remote Tibe. Xiang's interest in creating a bridge for Tibetan culture came about in the early 1980s. through her extensive readings and studies about Tibet, she has become an expert on Tibetan culture.

"I don't like to call myself an expert," Xiang Hongjia said, "for I have just finished a number of translations about Tibetan culture."

Studies about Tibet are still new to China. While isolated from the outside scholars of Tietology in China had no access to overseas Tibetological researchers. Through friends, Xiang Hongjia managed to find many publications on Tibet and began to put her ideas into effect. At age 39, she first translated Bhutan, Kingdom of the Himalaya into English. In February, 1985, she published the translation of Trespassers on the Roof of the World. From there, she began a career in translating Tibetan documents from Chinese to English or from English to Chinese. Over more than a decade, she has translated seven books and 29 essays. In addition, she translated into English 11 TV programs introducing Tibet to the English speaking world.

In order to accurately translate the Tibetan documents, Xiang Hongjia has traveled to Tibet three times. Her translations such as Trespassers on the Roof of the World, Trans Himalaya, Tibet: A Chronicled Exploration, Tibetan Refugees, First Tibetan Teacher in Europe, Bhutan, Kingdom of the Himalaya, have all enjoyed good reviews among readers and Tibetologists alike. The English textbook, Take Part, she compiled is popular among Chinese institutes of higher learning. Now, she is working on her essay collection People and Deities in the Himalayea.

In China, few people can use Tibetan, English and Chinese as freely as she. In order to know more about Tibet, she visited all the lamaseries in Tibet and traveled to mChims-phu, the holy place of Buddhism.

In Tibet, a saying goes, "If a person visits mChims-phu three times in her life, she will enjoy boundless beneficence."

While Xiang hongjia is not a Buddhist, her Tibet fever prompted her to climb to mChims-phu carrying just food and water on her back even though she was ill with a high temperature. When she left mChims-phu, a nun, moved by her endurance, saw her off with sweet songs. Xiang said the nun's singing was the greatest reward to her difficult journey.

Xiang hongjia is well-known in the field of Tibetan studies and this presents her with many opportunities. In 1988 and 12989, she went to study at the Communication Department of Simen Fraser University in Canada. In 1993, she was invited to lecture in the U.S. Than same year, she organized a percussion group to attend the Word's Percussion Festival in germany and Austria. In 1995, she was present at the UN's Summit on Social Development.

Now, the books Catalogue of Chinese Publication in Tibetan Studies Xiang Hongjia co-translated Tibetological Terminology (Chinese-English and English and English-Chinese) Xiang Hongjia compiled will be published. She said; "Though I translated the Tibetological documents for only 12 years, the dream of all my life is in Tibet."

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