Life is hard with heavy manual labour for men and women

There is no plumbing in the old quarter, wells provide water to communal taps on the street. 

Life in Tibet still revolves around the Yak.  They eat its meat and blood, make butter, cheese  and yogurt. Their tents, clothes and blankets are woven from its hair.  It is a beast of burden and its dung, stored here, provides fuel.  

Yak (or to be gender correct) dri butter plays an important part in the religious life of the community providing fuel for the temple lamps and a sculpting material for religious images.

It is also added to salted tea and barley flour to form their staple dish, tsampa.