'Everest' Is Evil Colonial Name
'British colonialists raped the sacred mountain of the Tibetans by giving it a false name.' Say the Chinese who want the name changed to 'Qomolangma'. A tad ironic really.
Posted: 27 November 2002
by Jon
The name 'Mount Everest' is an evil manifestation of colonialism
according to the Chinese who want to see the mountain officially
renamed 'Qomolangma', literally 'Mother Goddess of the Mountain
Snows' before the 50th anniversary of the first ascent next
year.
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'Quoomolongma', 'Chomolungma',
'Sagamartha,
or Mount Everest?
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The name is their version of the original Tibetan name 'Chomolungma'
and they claim their use of the word dates back to mapping of the
area by the Qing Dynasty in 1717. The mountain was named 'Everest' in
1865 after Sir George Everest, the Surveyor-General of India, who
mapped the 29,028ft peak in 1852.
"British colonialists raped the sacred mountain of the Tibetans by
giving it a false name." Says one Chinese newspaper. Which is a bit
rich considering that the Chinese have invaded Tibet and implemented
a policy of cultural genocide.
"The Chinese government getting hot under the collar about it
being a colonial name is a bit rich. China invaded Tibet and is
behaving in a very colonial way towards the people there." Comments
Sir Chris Bonington diplomatically in the Daily
Mirror. Meanwhile Peter Hillary, son of Sir Edmund Hilary, who
first climbed the mountain with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953 is
quoted
as saying that people should be able to call the mountain whatever
they prefer.
In practical terms, the Chinese intend to use official Chinese
name for the peak in all state guides and papers from next year. For
the Chinese point of view, take a look at this
story in the online version of the People's Daily.
For more information on the plight of Tibet under Chinese rule see
Free Tibet.
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