Not to be outdone by Afghanistan’s Taliban, who destroyed ancient statues of Buddha amidst cries of protest from the international community, the Chinese government has teamed up with Spanish mountaineers to thumb its nose at the rest of the world and allow an expedition up Mt. Kailash in Tibet, a mountain sacred to Hindus, Buddhists, and followers of Tibet’s native religion, Bon. The mountain is the annual site of thousands of pilgrimages and is revered by millions. Mountaineering groups around the world are pressuring the Spaniards to respect the mountain’s religious significance and abandon their quest.
