In Photos | Tibetan traditions threatened by politics, growth

Over the centuries, Tibet evolved from a collection of kingdoms to something like a unified state that accepted suzerainty under successive Chinese imperial dynasties that ruled until 1912.

The name Tibet conjures up images of snowy peaks, vermillion temples and prayer flags snapping in the Himalayan wind. Those features remain, but the religious and cultural foundations underpinning them appear to be coming unstuck. Long defined by its Buddhist culture, the region is facing a push for assimilation and political orthodoxy under China’s ruling Communist Party. Tibetans and other minorities are seeing the use of their languages downgraded in schools and old ways of living eroded for the promise of better quality of life through mobile phones, online shopping, higher education and improved health care.