Before
entering the Jokhang
Monastery, it is well worth strolling around the old streets and
alleyways nearby, to get a taste of the old Tibetan atmosphere about
town. This area bursts with atmosphere and contradictions.
On the one hand, this is one of The
holiest areas of Tibet, awash with pilgrims, monks, nuns and temples.
On the other, the streets around here are the hub of Lhasa's
commercial zone. Street traders, hawkers and market sellers fill the
pavements around the Barkhor area. Today, this is not simply part of a
pilgrimage circuit but also the heart and soul of the city.
Numerous weird and wonderful things can
be bought including souvenirs, ornaments, Tibetan knives, Tibetan
robes and hats, tapestries, religious musical instruments, gold and
silver ware and prayer wheels....the list of magical souvenirs is
endless.
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Drepung
Monastery is actually a collection of Buddhist chapels and colleges
located about 8km west of Lhasa. The word Drepung can be literally
translated as "rice pile", a name whose meaning becomes
clear when you see the white-walled buildings scattered along the
hill.
Originally founded in 1416, the monastery
in its heyday was home to 10,000 monks (around 1600). In 1530, the
second Dalai Lama built his palace here, known as the Ganden Palace,
which was used until the fifth Dalai Lama built the Potala.
Besides the Ganden Palace, the Drepung
Monastery buildings also include the tsogchen (the main hall).
This is the most important structure of the Monastery. It contains
several chapels, of special note are the Chapel to the Maitreya Buddha
and chapels to local Tibetan protection goddesses known as Tara.
The Colleges of Drepang include the
Ngagpa (focused on Tantric study), the Loseling (devoted to the study
of logic and the largest of the colleges), and two other, lesser
colleges. Monks are allowed to join a college based on their place of
birth. This ages old "rule" gives each of the colleges an
regional flair.
How to get there: Minibuses run
from the area in front of Barkhor Square and will take you to either
the base of the hill upon which Drepung sits or the parking lot on
Drepung slopes. Drepung is also included in most of the
"tours" from Lhasa. The fare is RMB3 and the trip takes
around a half an hour. The walk from the base of the hill to Drepung
Monastery takes around another 30 minutes.
Opening hours: 9am to 4pm with varying lunch breaks at the
different chapels and colleges at Drepung. Also many of the chapels
and colleges close on Sunday.
Cost: A occasionally not enforced RMB30 entry fee.
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Ganden
Monastery is attainable on a day trip from Lhasa. It lies 45km east of
Lhasa, on the Sichuan highway. It is the most dramatically situated of
the main temples near Lhasa, high up on the ridge.
The Ganden Monastery was the first
monastery of the Gelugpa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism (also known as the
Yellow Hat Sect) and remains the power center of this sect today. It
was founded in 1417 and the successive leaders of this sect have come
to be known as the Ganden Tripa, a post earned through scholastic
achievement. The Dalai Lama is the most famous member of this sect.
The word "Ganden" means
"joy" in Tibetan and is also the name for the "western
heavens" where the Maitreya Buddha (the Future Buddha) resides.
Ironically, this Monastery was heavily damaged during Cultural
Revolution bombings, making the place somewhat depressing. However,
work is underway to repair the damaged buildings of the monastery, so
that Ganden Monastery is being quickly restored to its must-see status
as one of Lhasa's most impressive monasteries. Seek out the Golden
Throne Room of the Dalai Lama. Placed upon the throne, there
is a cloth bag containing his yellow hat that he left behind in his
escape to exile in India.
There are many burial stupas on the
grounds of the Monastery, the most noteworthy of which is the Tomb
of the Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa Sect. The
Tsongkhapa's preserved body used to sit meditatively in the stupa, but
the body was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. All that
remains today are a few enshrined skull fragments.
How to get there: Bus service to
the Monastery is available from Barkhor Square at 6:30am. Tickets for
the bus can be purchased at the western corner of the Barkhor Circuit.
The trip takes about two and a half hours and leaves Ganden to return
to Lhasa at 2pm. Tickets to the Monastery cost RMB8 and RMB16 back
from the Monastery. Alternatively, a Land Cruiser can be hired for the
trip and should cost around RMB400.
Cost: RMB15 entry fee
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The
Jokhang Temple, Lhasa's holiest temple, is situated bang in the middle
of the city in the Barkhor Market district, and is easily visited
alone. If you are lucky, a tour guide will be able to give information
on the places visited, although don't expect too much. Usually little
more than a bus from the hotel to the site is provided.
Originally named "Ruosha", the
Jokhang Temple was built in 547. According to legend,it was princess
Wen Chen who chose the site for the temple through the methods of
Ying-Yang and the Five Elements. The Temple is situated near the
Wuotang lake in the old urban area of Lhasa. This space is considered
to be the heart of a monster who the Tibetan's want to drive away and
the space was filled with water and a temple built on the site
to drive out the monster from the area.
After years of expansion, the Jokhang
Temple is now part of a large group of buildings, covering a total
area of 25,000 square meters. The four-storey main hall is magnificent
with a Golden Summit. The statue of Sakyamuni that stands here is said
to have been brought into Tibet by the Tang princess, Wen Chen. This
statue is of paramount importance to Tibetan Buddhists and when the
reincarnation of the Dalai and Pen Chen Lamas needs to be found, an
official ceremony is held in front of the statue here.
Cost: RMB25
How to get there: The Temple is situated in the central Barkhor
Market district of the city and is easily accessible on foot.
Opening hours: Daily (except Sunday) 8am-12pm and 3pm-5.30pm
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Nechung Monastery [free entry] lies a
couple of minutes' walk down the hill from Drepung
Monastery and is worth visiting. It's much the smallest and most
personal of these monasteries easily accessible from Lhasa, and is the
least visited, and therefore the most peaceful.
Also, it is the only monastery where one
may take photos freely. Historically its importance is that until 1959
it was the monastery of the State Oracle. For this reason the imagery
painted on the walls is more than usually fierce and bloody (flayed
human skins and souls in torment). Nechung was greatly damaged during
the cultural revolution, but is quickly being restored.
How to get there: The Monastery is
close to Drepung which can be visited either as part of your
"tour" from Lhasa or independently by minibus from Lhasa.
Opening hours: Daily 9am-4pm
Cost: Entrance is free.
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Sightseeing
Index
