This is the Tibetan Year of Horse, a year in which Tibetans believe they will have good luck if they can walk around the holy mountain of Kang Rinpoche -- "Precious Jewel Snow Mountain" -- in the western part of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Tibetans also cherish the tradition of walking around the holy mountain of Zari in the Year of the Monkey.

They believe that both journeys help them achieve Buddhist merits several times greater than in ordinary years.

Walking around Mount Kang Rinpoche, known as Mount Kailash in the West, once in the Year of Horse amounts to doing the same thing 13 times in ordinary years. No matter how difficult these journeys prove, it is a ritual Tibetans perform with no complaint.

First Walk

I got close to Mount Kang Rinpoche twice as a pilgrim. I didn't expect to experience so much hardship.

In July 1992, two of my friends and I went to Mount Kang Rinpoche, the "king of all saint mountains" in the eyes of Tibetan Buddhists, Jains, Hindus and followers of the ancient Bon religion of Tibet.

We set out after a simple dinner before it got dark.

Because we embarked on our travels in the sixth Tibetan month, which is not the normal month for such journeys, we were the only three on the 53-kilometer (33-mile) circuit.

It can take up to 15 hours for a strong person to complete the circuit.

Clouds hovered around the mountain top. As we went further, spectacular scenes of Mount Kang Rinpoche ("Crystal Dagoba" in Tibetan Buddhist classics) began to unfold. It was quiet, awakening awe in my heart.

Tibetan Buddhists believe each stone or blade of grass along the route contains a soul, and therefore they must pray for them whenever there is the need.

As we marveled at each stone, a thunderstorm erupted. We tried to look for shelter, but failed. My leather-lined coat felt like it weighed a ton from all the rain that had soaked through. I gasped for breath, but we still pressed ahead.

At midnight we approached Zholma La Pass and introduced ourselves to the pilgrims camping out in a tent.

Then we forged on, again into pitch black darkness and silence, except for our heavy breathing.

Zholma La Pass has an elevation of 5,723 meters (18,776 feet). Many pilgrims suffer from vomiting and headaches here. We had to stop to catch our breath every few meters.

At dawn, we walked for three hours along a narrow trail. Finally, after 21 hours, we had completed the circuit.

Second Trip

In May 1996, I visited Mount Kang Rinpoche again as a member of the "500-kilometer Trip of 100 Tibetan Artists." This happened in the fourth Tibetan month, the peak time for Tibetans to make the circuit passage around the saintly mountain.

A sutra streamer pole was to be erected in a ceremony on the 15th day of the 4th Tibetan month, the day Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, entered Nirvana.

After the ceremony, large numbers of Buddhist followers began walking the circuit. We joined them on the crowded path. Near the Zholma La Pass, we were so tired that we had to take a rest.

But several foreign women passed us, so we forced ourselves to continue at a quicker pace.

Legends say that when Master Gucangba of the Gagyu Sect took the lead in making the ritual walk around Mount Kang Rinpoche, a wild yak -- the incarnation of the Goddess of Sengdongma -- led the way. When they reached the foot of the mountain, the mission was taken over by seven wolves, actually the incarnation of Tara. Prints of wolf claws left behind showed the route the master had to take.

Based on his experience, the master had the Zhirepu Monastery built as a road sign at the foot of Zholma La Pass. Someone has since cashed in on the legend by building an inn there for exhausted pilgrims.

On the top of the mountain there is a small lake linked to a legend:

Long ago, a woman with a child on her back reached Zholma La Pass. They headed for the small lake atop the mountain because they were thirsty. Unfortunately, the child on her back fell into the lake as she bent over for water.

The child drowned, and the woman cried her heart out. She decided to redeem her sin by walking around the mountain. When she finished the walk for the 13th time, her footprints appeared in the rock cliff, and she was incarnated into a rainbow in the sky.

Professional Walkers

Tibetans are obsessed with the belief that walking around the holy mountain will help them achieve Nirvana and feel compelled to complete a certain number of walks during their lifetime. Those in poor physical shape consider finding substitutes to walk for them, even though it is a costly endeavor.

I once came across a man who, with quilts on his back, walked with the assistance of a stick. He said he was a seasoned ritual walk substitute, with more than 200 walks under his belt. Since one round measures 53 kilometers, he had journeyed more than 10,400 kilometers (6,462 miles) altogether -- at an elevation often of more than 5,000 meters (16,404 feet).

This man should be revered.

This article first appeared in this year's fourth issue of the bimonthly China's Tibet magazine.

(China Daily August 3, 2002)