Tsering Chungtak
Encyclopedia
Tsering Chungtak is a Tibetan
beauty queen who represented Tibet
in the 2006 edition of the environmentally oriented beauty pageant, Miss Earth
. She is the first Tibetan woman to participate in any major international beauty contest
.
college, was crowned Miss Tibet
in 2006 at a contest in the northern Indian town of Dharmsala, home to a majority of Tibetan exiles and the seat of the 14th Dalai Lama
. Born in Shillong
, she is an alumna of lower-Tibetan Community Village School. She also took the title of Miss Photogenic after securing 1740 votes of the total 3909 votes cast in the online public poll; held in the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts
(TIPA), the finale of the Miss Tibet 2006 contest drew a large crowd of local Tibetan youth. She received a scholarship cheque of 1,00,000 Indian rupees.
beauty pageant. Aside from her environmental advocacy, she used her platform to say that "Tibet is not a part of China" and "there is no freedom in Tibet". She also advocated for the boundaries of acceptable social etiquette towards modernity, in a traditionally conservative Tibetan culture
, where most grown women wear ankle-length dresses. Nonetheless, her participation in the pageant received an approval from the Dalai Lama. She made more headlines in December 2007 when she withdrew her participation in the Miss Tourism contest, a minor international beauty pageant held in Malaysia, after organizers reacted to pressure from Beijing
and asked her to add "China" to her "Miss Tibet" title by wearing a sash labeled "Miss Tibet-China".
, at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
, Sunday, February 24, 2008, in Taipei
, as part of the torch relay for the Tibetan Olympics to be held in Dharamsala, India, the seat of the Tibetan government in exile, on May 15, 2008. The relay for a sports event organized by Tibetans in exile to counter the Beijing Olympics arrived on Taiwan Sunday on the third leg of a 10-city tour.
The photo of Tsering Chungtak taken by Associated Press
in Taiwan was the "pick of the day" of XPRESS Newspaper, sister paper of Gulf News
, which is based in the United Arab Emirates
; the newspaper looks daily for the best photos from around the globe.
Tibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
beauty queen who represented Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
in the 2006 edition of the environmentally oriented beauty pageant, Miss Earth
Miss Earth
Miss Earth is an annual international beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness. Miss Earth is also one of the most publicized beauty contests in the world....
. She is the first Tibetan woman to participate in any major international beauty contest
Beauty contest
A beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...
.
Miss Tibet 2006 pageant
Chungtak, a student of sociology in a New DelhiNew Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
college, was crowned Miss Tibet
Miss Tibet
Miss Tibet is an annual beauty pageant held in Dharamshala, India. It is produced by . The pageant is a much-awaited annual Tibetan event, especially popular among the younger generation of Tibetans....
in 2006 at a contest in the northern Indian town of Dharmsala, home to a majority of Tibetan exiles and the seat of the 14th Dalai Lama
14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has consolidated control over the other lineages in recent years...
. Born in Shillong
Shillong
-Connectivity:Although well connected by road, Shillong has no rail connection and a proper air connection. Umroi Airport exists but has only limited flights.-Roadways:Shillong is well connected by roads with all major north eastern states...
, she is an alumna of lower-Tibetan Community Village School. She also took the title of Miss Photogenic after securing 1740 votes of the total 3909 votes cast in the online public poll; held in the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts
Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts
The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts was founded by Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama on reaching Dharamsala, India in exile from Tibet in August 1959, it was one of the first institutes set up the Dalai Lama, and was established to preserve Tibetan artistic heritage, especially opera, dance, and...
(TIPA), the finale of the Miss Tibet 2006 contest drew a large crowd of local Tibetan youth. She received a scholarship cheque of 1,00,000 Indian rupees.
Miss Earth 2006 participation
She competed as one of the 90 contestants in the environmentally-oriented Miss Earth 2006Miss Earth 2006
Miss Earth 2006, the 6th edition of Miss Earth beauty pageant, took place on November 26, 2006 in the grounds of the National Museum in Manila, Philippines. The pageant was won by Hil Hernández of Chile....
beauty pageant. Aside from her environmental advocacy, she used her platform to say that "Tibet is not a part of China" and "there is no freedom in Tibet". She also advocated for the boundaries of acceptable social etiquette towards modernity, in a traditionally conservative Tibetan culture
Tibetan culture
Tibetan culture developed under the influence of a number of factors. Contact with neighboring countries and cultures- including Nepal, India and China - have influenced the development of Tibetan culture, but the Himalayan region's remoteness and inaccessibility have preserved distinctive local...
, where most grown women wear ankle-length dresses. Nonetheless, her participation in the pageant received an approval from the Dalai Lama. She made more headlines in December 2007 when she withdrew her participation in the Miss Tourism contest, a minor international beauty pageant held in Malaysia, after organizers reacted to pressure from Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and asked her to add "China" to her "Miss Tibet" title by wearing a sash labeled "Miss Tibet-China".
Tibetan Olympics
Tsering led a run with Tibetans who live in TaiwanTaiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a famous monument, landmark and tourist attractions erected in memory of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China. It is located in Taipei, Republic of China ....
, Sunday, February 24, 2008, in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, as part of the torch relay for the Tibetan Olympics to be held in Dharamsala, India, the seat of the Tibetan government in exile, on May 15, 2008. The relay for a sports event organized by Tibetans in exile to counter the Beijing Olympics arrived on Taiwan Sunday on the third leg of a 10-city tour.
The photo of Tsering Chungtak taken by Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
in Taiwan was the "pick of the day" of XPRESS Newspaper, sister paper of Gulf News
Gulf News
Gulf News is a daily English language newspaper published from Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates with a December 2009 BPA audited circulation of over 117,036 qualified copies...
, which is based in the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
; the newspaper looks daily for the best photos from around the globe.