The emperor’s mighty brother
Demand for an aphrodisiac has brought unprecedented wealth to rural Tibet—and trouble in its wake
BY THE middle of May, the snowline in Yushu prefecture has retreated to the peaks of its steep valleys. Nomads who have spent the winter at the bottom of them have begun to herd their yaks and goats to higher pastures, where the first shoots of green have replaced the scorching white of winter. The landscape is still bleak and forbidding. Wolves prowl. Lightning strikes terrorise those caught exposed on the bare slopes.
This article appeared in the Christmas Specials section of the print edition under the headline “The emperor’s mighty brother”
From the December 19th 2015 edition
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