The
Norbulingka is the Summer Palace of the Dalai Lamas and while truly
run down, this garden still deserves a visit both for its
historical and cultural significance. This area is especially
interesting on festival days with lots to see.
The park was established by the 7th Dalai
Lama in 1755. More than just a simple summer retreat, this is the
headquarters from which the Dalai Lamas ruled Tibet during the summer
months. As successive Dalai Lamas all used the Summer Palace for this
purpose, the procession from the Potala to Norbulingka became a grand
affair and a festive occasion of the Lhasa calendar.
In 1959, the current Dalai Lama (the
14th) made his escape from the Summer Palace disguised as a Tibetan
soldier. Tibetan uprisings followed as the people of Lhasa swelled up
to protect the Summer Palace and their spiritual leader, and the
subsequent Chinese shelling of the area damaged all the buildings of
the Norbulingka. Of special interest is the New Summer Palace, built
by the 14th Dalai Lama and located in the center of the Norbulingka.
This Palace is filled with interesting murals and is definitely the
highlight of the Norbulingka.
The zoo is best avoided, containing very
sorry-looking bears, monkeys and large birds of prey, chained to their
concrete floors and [when they can rouse themselves from their apathy]
ignobly scrabbling for scraps thrown to them by tourists.
How to get there: The Norbulingka
is a ten minute walk south from the Lhasa Hotel in the western section
of town.
Opening hours: 9am to noon and 3:30pm to 5:30pm. Sundays the
tickets are cheaper, but only the gardens are open.
Cost: There is a RMB25 entry fee, but on Sundays, on the
gardens are open and the fee is RMB1.
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The
Potala Palace, of course is a must. Its gold roofs are visible all
over Lhasa, but most notably from the roof of the Jokhang. It's easy
to see why the first Western visitors to Tibet were utterly enchanted
with Lhasa.
The sense of achievement at having finally attained this
remote city, even by airplane, is still very real. Lhasa sits in a
huge crater formed by mountains surrounding it on all sides.
In the
middle sits the Potala, itself atop its own sizeable hill. In front of
it spreads the city and the Kyichu river. Behind it a veritable
tapestry of fields and flowers spreads back to the mountains. A more
picturesque scene could scarcely be imagined.
The Potala is the official residence of
the Dalai Lama, Buddhism's highest ranking priest. He is believed to
be both a living god and an incarnation of all previous Dalai Lamas.
Construction of the Potala Palace was begun by the 5th Dalai Lama, but
it was not completed by the time of his death, in 1682. His regent
concealed his death whilst the new Dalai was found [there is an
elaborate process involved in locating the new Dalai upon the death of
the previous incarnation].
The regent also knew that the workers would
never have the heart to complete their work if they knew their beloved
leader to be dead, so the regent convinced the entire country that the
Dalai had merely gone on a lengthy spiritual retreat for some 20
years, while the new Dalai was raised to adulthood.
The Potala
contains treasures unimaginable, although it is unfortunate that very
little of it is open to the public today. The Tomb of the Fifth Dalai
Lama is within the Potala. It is three storeys high, and made of
3,700kg of gold. A multi-tiered model of a palace resembling a wedding
cake, and made of over a quarter of a million pearls, is staggering to
behold.
Allow a couple of hours to see the Potala.
Much of it is closed to visitors and photography is STRICTLY
prohibited.
Opening hours: Monday -Friday
9am-12.30pm.
Cost: RMB45 (plus some additional charges for extra exhibitions
etc.)
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Ramoche Temple is the sister temple to Jokhang
Temple in the northern part of the city. This three storey
construction was built at the same time as Jokhang, in the 7th Century
and later rebuilt in the 15th Century in a more Chinese style than the
original building.
The principal image here is of Jowo
Sakyamuni at 8 years old. This statue was part of the dowry of
King Songsten Gampo's Nepalese wife. Queen Wenchang is said to have
hidden the image in the chapel at the back of the temple to protect it
from the Chinese. Today, the image still stands in the Tsangkhang
chapel at the rear of the Temple. The complex itself is a little
run-down although the circuit containing many prayer wheels around the
perimeter here is very interesting. The surviving temple is home to
the Gelu Buddhists of the Yellow Hats sect.
Address: Ramoche Lam, off Dekyi
Shar Mam, north of Tromzikhang market.
Opening hours: Daily 9:00-12:00 and 14:00-16:30
Cost: RMB20
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The Tibetan people believe that the souls
of the dead will not be incarnated unless the deceased has reached
Samya before. Samye Monastery is probably the most favored destination
outside Lhasa. The charm of the monastery not only comes from its
super long history--Samye is actually Tibet's first monastery and it
is over 1200 years old, but largely lies in the structure of the
monastery, the religious significance and the enjoyment of the trip
itself.
The Monastery is designed to represent
the Buddhist belief of the shape of the universe. The imposing central
building, a three storey Chinese, Indian, and Tibetan style building
represents the Buddhist center of Mt. Sumeru. The temple buildings and
chapels around represent the continents and oceans. The Monastery is a
circle fringed by a circular wall dotted with 1008 chortens.
The establishment of Samye Monastery
marked the victory of Tibetan Buddism over the original Bon belief.
The monastery has been damaged and restored throughout history, and
witnessed numerous disputes between Buddhist schools, repeated wars,
and various religious developments.
The trip to the Monastery itself is
enjoyable, since this spot is located in beautiful Samye valley and
along the Yalungtzangpo-the mother river of Tibet. The trip to Samye
involves a ferry crossing with breathtaking views of Yalungzangpo, and
a land cruise in a beautiful valley. On top of this, the
area around the monastery is a peaceful and typically Tibetan spot.
How to get there: The
bus between Lhasa and Tsetang is one of the few regular public
transportation options available in Tibet. About 30KM before the bus
finally brings you to Tsetang from Lhasa, there is a ferry lies on the
bank of the Ya river, the ferry boat takes you to the other side of
the river. (RMB5) From there the Samye Monastery is 9KM away on
the northeast. You can walk there or take the truck or tractor
prepared by the local people (RMB3), a rough trip by either ways.
Admission: Locals free
of charge, RMB30 for visitors
Opening time: 9:00-16:00
Visiting time: 2-3 hours
Permission: Foreign
visitors are not allowed to travel outside Lhasa as individual
travelers, they have to be part of tour groups organized and
accompanied by local tour agencies. The trip to Samye is the same
situation, although sometimes the PSB in Shigatse will issue a few
individual travel permits but this is not guaranteed.
Accommodation: If you
wish to stay longer in the Monastery, there is a hostel near the main
temple building, a bed starts from RMB15, but the local food is not
great.
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Sightseeing
Index
