This and other photographs displayed until October 10, 2005 as part of Royal B.C. Museum's tour exhibition: Tibet: Mountains and Valleys, Castles and Tents depict a people - some wealthy, others nomadic farmers - who live in harmony with a harsh environment in Tibet, one of the planet's most isolated regions.

Small part of many Tibetan exhibits displayed at Royal BC Museum in Victoria until Oct. 10, 2005.

As I pause in front of more old black and white photos depicting the rarely seen Tibetan culture, I am reminded of James Hilton's book, and the subsequent movie, Lost Horizon.

In the story, protagonist Robert Conway and his group are survivors of a plane crash in mountainous territory, rescued by an elderly Chinese traveler. He escorts them to a valley of verdant natural beauty where the air is pure and the people incorruptible. There is no envy and no greed. Life is gentle. And the absence of stress confers the gift of (almost) eternal youth on valley inhabitants.

Conway comes to the conclusion this legendary Shangri-La, buried in the heart of Tibet.

No matter how idyllic the setting, Conway and his group are, in fact, prisoners - unable to leave without the co-operation of the High Lama. It leads to several underlying questions: Is Utopia worth the sacrifice of physical freedom? Does their confinement, no matter how pleasant, amount to coercion-a tactic as psychologically crippling as it is morally wrong? Are the people of this seemingly perfect society anesthetized against life's inherent dichotomies of good and evil?

Tibet today is under Chinese rule, and the parallels to the dilemma faced by the group in Lost Horizon carry a bitter irony. The party line is that the country is now in much better economic shape than ever, and living standards are immensely improved; the underlying barb is that freedom of opinion, of religious worship and of movement in or out of the country, aren't negotiable at any price.

This is brought home to our group of six during a pre-Museum visit to the Buddhist Dharma Society's premises in Victoria, B.C., where we are served Tibetan butter tea (salty and delicious) in a parlor lavishly decorated with colorful wall hangings.

A Tibetan nomad's tent depicts the lifestyle of Tibetans. (Royal BC Museum photo).

Lama Geshe Tashi Namgyal, who looks like a benevolent gnome swathed in saffron and maroon robes, chats about Buddhist philosophy in particular and Tibet's troubling politics in general. We are reminded His Holiness the Dalai Lama was forced into exile in India in 1959, and that much of the priceless historical artifacts in the monasteries have been destroyed by the Chinese following their political takeover of the country.

Later, as we enter the hall at the B.C. Museum, I am at first surprised the Tibetan exhibition appears rather small. It is only when I come to the last of the artifacts on display I realize size has nothing to do with it.

I have been riveted for 90 minutes by an array of exquisitely crafted jewelry, ceremonial objets d'art, wall hangings, costumes, religious artifacts and photographs.

It is probably the closest I will ever come to seeing free Tibet the way it was before China took over the land-a unique culture that was pacifist, agrarian and deeply spiritual.

No visit to Royal B.C. Museum would be complete without taking in an IMAX presentation. I choose to watch Everest, a brilliantly photographed film that was an unprecedented challenge in terms of IMAX technology and the logistics of climbing and carrying equipment up 29,000 feet to the summit of Mt. Everest.

Also seldom seen in an IMAX documentary is footage of this type: an expedition filmed live, as it happened. The result is a vivid, moving tale of terror, anguish, heroism, tragedy and triumph.

I've always maintained Royal B.C. Museum is not just a provincial asset - it is a Canadian treasure. Perhaps not as architecturally arresting as the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Quebec, or as large as the Royal Ontario Museum, but it offers visitors an astounding variety of innovative exhibits, along with opportunity to discover, to marvel, to imagine and to explore.

The Native Peoples Gallery is one of the best of its kind in this country; and now with the latest addition to its Living Land, Living Sea gallery, the Museum is poised to welcome visitors to an entertaining and lively (if sobering) look at how climatic changes affect our environment, our livelihoods and-not to put too fine a point on it-our existence.

Altar adornments inside the Buddhist Dharma Society in Victoria.

That, as they say, is another story.

Lhasa, The Forbidden City remains under wraps, and even those who obtain permission to visit may only do so in the company of a Chinese guide. However, the opportunity now exists to avail of wide-ranging informational lectures that are part of the museum's celebration of Tibetan culture. These talks cover a wealth of topics ranging from the Sacred Art of Tibet, to The Secrets of Tibetan Medicine, as well as an insight into the country's history and a glimpse into the World of the Dalai Lama. For information, check www.RoyalBCMuseum.bc.ca.

Victoria is serviced by B.C. Ferries from the Lower Mainland of British Columbia and Washington State. Check www.bcferries.bc.ca/ for schedules and fares.

The city is also accessible float plane, with companies operating from Vancouver's downtown Coal Harbour to Victoria's Inner Harbour. Visit Helijet International at www.helijet.com or Harbour Air www.harbour-air.com

Several airlines fly into Victoria from across Canada and the USA.

Hotel Grand Pacific is a five-minute stroll from the Royal Museum.. Spacious rooms have windows (some have balconies) overlooking the city and inner harbour. For information, check www.hotelgrandpacific.com

Victoria offers a variety of restaurants, but for a unique experience drop into Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub. www.spinnakers.com