A spoonful of Tibetan honey

Want a Tibetan prescription to lose weight? Mix a special kind of honey with hot water, and drink the mixture three times a day.

So says, Tsewang Tengpa, director of the outpatient department of a prestigious traditional Tibetan medicine hospital in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region.

When he revealed the secret recipe to a German audience during a lecture on Tibetan medicine in Berlin on Monday, he provoked a round of curious questions.

"What kind of honey?" a listener asked. Before he had time to answer, another person asked: "Should I drink before or after meals?"

"Drink one cup of unprocessed honey after every meal," the doctor answered, before going on about the origin, development and clinical function of Tibetan medicine.

The lecture on Tibetan medicine was part of the Tibetan cultural exchange delegation's visit to Germany. The delegation gave a lecture on Tibetan folk culture at a Confucius Institute in Munich and met German government officers, members of parliament and media professionals on Tuesday.

The delegation, aimed at revealing the true face of Tibet, arrived in Austria on June 19 to start a two-week trip. The visit will head to South Africa after leaving Germany.

"We have communicated with the German people on religion, politics, culture and a variety of other issues, with many tough questions touched upon," said Jigme Wangtso, head of the delegation and secretary-general of the Foreign Cultural Exchange Association of Tibet.

"Through face-to-face communication, German people have deepened their understanding of the success Tibet has achieved in recent years," he added.

Many circles in Germany have paid special attention to Tibet and are eager to learn more about the mysterious region, said Paljor, deputy director of the National Institute of the Tibetan Academy of Social Sciences.

"As a researcher on Tibetan studies, I have cited my own achievements in field research and personal experiences to talk about all aspects of today's Tibet. People in Germany will find it more real and convincing," Paljor said.