The occupation of Tibet by China has left behind deep scars. Tibetan culture is being erased and many Tibetans have been victims of humiliations, discrimination and torture. In the footsteps of the Dalai Lama, who left the country in 1959, 80,000 Tibetans have fled to India. To reach India one has to make the rough, perilous crossing over the Himalayas. Manuel Bauer was the first to photograph this dangerous trek. In 1995 he accompanied a Tibetan father and daughter who wanted to flee from Lhasa to the Indian city of Dharmsala. Their journey to freedom lasted 22 days and they suffered from hunger and frostbite on the way. Bauer's reportage ultimately became world-famous.

As a freelance photographer Manuel Bauer (b. 1966, Switzerland) has specialized in long-term projects. He feels a deep bond with Tibet. In 1990 an exhibition of his work was personally opened by the Dalai Lama.