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ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
BS Architecture Program
S.Y. 2015-2016, 1st Semester
History of Architecture 3

REACTION PAPER
(Seven Years in Tibet)
Submitted by:Rubia, Jan E.
Bs Arch.31E1
Submitted to: Ar. Serafin A. Ramento III

SUMMARY:

The story begins with a well-known Austrian mountain climber, Heinrich Harrer, who
bids farewell to his pregnant wife, Ingrid, and traveled from Austria to the
Himalayas. Heinrich Harrer and his friend, Peter Aufschnaiter, are part of a team
attempting to reach the peak of Nanga Parbat in British India (present-day
Pakistan). When World War II begins in 1939, they are arrested by British
Indian authorities and imprisoned in a camp in Dehradun near the
Himalayan foothills, in the present-day Indian state of Uttarakhand. Harrer's
pregnant wife, Ingrid, sends him divorce papers from Austria, and married another
man and his son Rolf, is born.
In 1944, Harrer and Aufschnaiter escape the prison and cross into Tibet. Tibet does
not allow foreigners in their land because it is an isolated nation. After being driven
away, they manage to travel in disguise to the Tibetan capital city of Lhasa. There,
the Tibetan diplomat, Kungo Tsarong, invited them to become the house guests. The
Tibetan senior official then governor, Ngawang Jigme also extends friendship to the
two foreigners with gifts of custom-made Western suits. Aufschnaiter falls in love
with the seamstress, Pema Lhaki, and marries her.
In 1945, Harrer plans to return to Austria. However, he receives a cold letter from
his son, rejecting Harrer as his father, and this prevents him from leaving Tibet.
Soon afterwards, Harrer is invited to the Potala Palace because the Dalai Lama is
pleased with him and becomes the 14th Dalai Lama's tutor in world geography,
science, and Western culture.
Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama had a bad dream about his hometown being destroyed
by Chinese soldiers and summoned Harrer. Harrer heard that the Chinese soldiers
are advancing to invade Tibet. Tibet refused to be invaded by China and tried to talk
negotiate with the Chinese generals but failed. Ngawang Jigme leads the Tibetan
army at the border town of Chamdo to halt the advancing People's Liberation Army.
However, Ngawang Jigme ends up surrendering and blows up the Tibetan
ammunition dump after the one-sided Battle of Chamdo.
During the treaty signing, Kungo Tsarong tells Harrer that if Jigme had not destroyed
the weapons supply the Tibetan guerrillas could have held the mountain passes
long enough to appeal to other nations for help. As the Chinese invade and occupy
Tibet, Harrer shames Ngawang Jigme for betraying his country. Harrer returns the
jacket that Ngawang Jigme gave him as a present, which is a grave insult in Tibetan
culture.
Harrer tries to convince the Dalai Lama to flee, but he refuses. The Dalai Lama
encourages Harrer to return to Austria and be a father to his son. After
the coronation ceremony, in which the Dalai Lama is formally enthroned as the
spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, Harrer returns to Austria in 1951.
Rolf refuses to meet Harrer at first, but Harrer leaves a music box that the Dalai
Lama gave him and this piques Rolf's interest. Years later, Harrer and Rolf are seen

mountain-climbing together, suggesting they have mended their relationship at the

end of the film.

REACTION:
While watching the movie, Seven Years in Tibet, I have noticed the customs and
beliefs of Tibet. I am amazed how they hold on to their beliefs and it bonds them
together. While building the movie house the Dalai Lama requested, the builders dig
out the soil and transfer the worms to another place. It is because they believed
that every living thing is a reincarnation of their mothers.
The movie is beautiful because it showed how peaceful and how beautiful Tibet is.
The movie also showed locations like the Potala Residence, the home of the Dalai
Lama, the residences of the Tibetans and the Himalayas. I noticed how steep the
stairs where the people climbed up and down.
The movie is based from the book of the same name and is written by the real
Heinrich Harrer. Even though there were differences between the book and the
movie, the friendship between Heinrich Harrer and the Dalai Lama is real.