The English version of a photo collection by a father and his son covering the changes in Tibet will be soon published by China Intercontinental Press.

Entitled Tibet Through the Lenses of Father and Son Photographers, the book features photos by Denzin Gyaco, the 10th Demu Living Buddha, and his second son Demu Wangjug Doje, who is vice-president of the Tibet Photographers' Association.

Taking up the camera in 1925, Denzin Gyaco was one of the first Tibetans to record the lives of nobles and commoners, and the religious activities in Tibet in the early and mid 20th century. He has amassed over 300 photos.

His son Doje has won many international and national awards with his works which capture the great social changes that have taken place in Tibet and the land's dramatic landscapes.

Their book, with 250 photos, is one of a number of books that are the product of the current publication projects of different publishing houses in China showcasing various aspects of the World's Roof in foreign languages.

For people interested in Tibetan folklore, the photo album Thangka Paintings: An Illustrated Manual of the Tibetan Epic Gesar is an indisputable must.

Gesar is the world's longest epic and is still told by folk story chanters on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Thangka painting is distinctly Tibetan, quite different from traditional Chinese paintings or Western oil works.

Each of the 200 thangka paintings contained in the book published by the China Pictorial Publishing House is a great work by Tibetan artists aiming at telling some striking moments of the huge epic.

For those who long to visit Tibet but haven't decided on an itinerary, the Travel Guide to Tibet of China, by the China Intercontinental Press is a useful handbook.

In addition to the descriptions of the natural landscape, the book gives detailed information about the animals and plants on the plateau, the folk customs, religion and traditional science and technology.

Also included are travel routes operated by Tibetan travel agencies with different focuses.

For a long time, the spelling of the names of Tibetan people and places has been a headache for researchers baffled with so many confusing variations.

The Dictionary of Common Tibetan Personal and Place Names, published by Foreign Languages Press will be a great help in this area and hopefully become a standard-setter for future studies.

Following is a list of books on Tibet arranged by category:

History and general information

Tibet Through the Lenses of Father and Son Photographers, by Denzin Gyaco and Demu Wangjug Doje

Dictionary of Common Tibetan Personal and Place Names, by Cheng Guansheng and An Caidan

China's Tibet, by the State Council Information Office

China's Tibet, 2004, by Zhong Zangwen

China's Tibet: Facts and Figures, 2004, by Wang Guozhen

Witness Tibet: Selection of News Reports on Tibet, by Ji Xiaofeng and others

Witness the Past Century in Tibet, by Zhang Xiaoming

Testimony of History, by the State Council Information Office

A Concise Comprehensive History of Tibet, by Chapai Cedain Puncog and others

The Historical Status of China's Tibet, by Wang Jiawei and Nyima Gyaincain, also in French, Spanish, German and Russian

Social History of Tibet, China: Documented and Illustrated, by Jin Hui and others, also in French, German and Portuguese

Tibet: 700 Years of History, by the book's editorial committee

Regulations of the Qing Dynasty Concerning Rule over Tibet, by China Intercontinental Press

Regulations of the Republic of China Concerning Rule over Tibet, by China National Centre for Tibetan Studies and China No 2 History Archives

Folk arts and religion

Thangka Paintings: An Illustrated Manual of the Tibetan Epic Gesar, by Jangbian Gyaco and Zhou Aiming

Reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and Rituals of Tibetan Buddhism, by Chen Qingying

Tibetan Folk Art Treasures, by the State Council Information Office

Contemporary Tibetan Paintings, by the State Council Information Office

Tibetan Costumes and Ornaments, by the State Council Information Office

Tourism

Travel Guide to Tibet of China, by An Caidan, also in French, Spanish, German and Russian

A Tour of West China, by Li Hairui

(China Daily May 17, 2004)