Category - Mongolia

September 2008

The Flight of the Khyung masterfully returns to Mongolia this month; such is the power of this great mythic bird! Let us have another look at the contemporary scene in this fascinating country. During my June to August sojourn, I …

August 2008

Special Two Year Anniversary Issue (2006–2008)
Focus on Mongolia!
Recently, the flight of the khyung, or should I say airplane, has taken me far and wide. From the middle of June until early August I had the good fortune of visiting …

Scholar, explorer, writer and pilgrim John Vincent Bellezza is widely recognized as one of the foremost specialists in the archaeology and ancient cultural history of Tibet. He has lived in the high Himalaya for over a quarter of a century. Explore these pages for information about his work.

A senior research fellow at the Tibet Center, University of Virginia, Dr. Bellezza has written extensively on the nomads, history and culture of Upper Tibet. A pioneer in his field, he is credited with the discovery of hundreds of pre-Buddhist archaeological sites, describing the monuments and the people that built them in great detail. The Iron Age civilization he has charted is associated with Zhang Zhung, Tibet’s fabled ancient kingdom and source of much of her culture.