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Tibet
Perched at the high altitude of about 4000 meters, Tibet – known as the Roof of the World – has always intrigued the world with its hidden mysticism and stunning natural beauty. It is located in Qinghai plateau known as the Tibetan plateau to the world and ringed by some of the world’s highest mountains including Mount Everest (known as Mount Qomolangma in the local language). The northern part is covered by Changtang Wildlife Reserve and the other three parts are valleys. It has Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Burma and Kashmir to the South and China on other sides.
Remained as a closed destination to the foreigners for a long term, the Tibetan people have preserved a unique Buddhist culture rich in songs and dances. Not surprisingly it is called the sea of song and dance.
With the unique cultured people living with their unique culture amid hundreds of celebrated monasteries living in the beautiful highland plateau with large rushing rivers and beautiful lakes and surrounded by snow-white mountains from all sides, Tibet stands to its name Shangrilla.
People and Culture
The culture of Tibet is highly influenced by the religion they follow; Tibetan Buddhism also known as Vajrayana Buddhism, a division of Buddhism close to Tantric practices. They have rich and unique culture well preserved from the influence of modernity inherited from generation to generation. A visitor will instantly notice the warmth and hospitality of Tibetan people when they greet with a long silk scarf known as Khada, which is considered to be a symbol of high esteem and good luck.
Traditionally, Tibetans were nomads who traveled from one village to other with their herd of sheep or highland cows or farmers who grew barley and potatoes. They wore sheepskin and clothe made out of wool. Today, with the development of highways and transport and introduction of newer technologies, they have ventured into trading their products in addition to farming and hospitality business.
Tibetans have several unique cultures unadulterated so far. One of such unique cultures is the ritual of ‘sky burial’. It is a custom where the body of a demised is cut into pieces by a funeral priest and scattered all around a wide naked ground from where vultures come and take the meat. Many believe this practice is attributed to the geographical terrain. The lack of firewood makes crimination of the corpse difficult and the rocky ground makes it impossible to dig a ditch and bury. Others attribute this practice to a legend that says Buddha had fed an eagle with his body parts to save the otherwise prey dove, in his previous life. There have been critics to this custom from within the community and attempts have been made in the past to eliminate this practice in vain. One of the Qing Governors (Tsu Zang Da Chen or Amban) had tried to scrap the practice by introducing a law was not successful. Nevertheless, people have faith that these birds carry the spirits to heaven.
Religion
Tibetans follow a branch of Buddhism which is called Tibetan or Vajrayana Buddhism, the division of Buddhism emphasizes more on Tantric practices. It has five sects: the Yellow Hats, the Red Hats, the White Hats, the Flower Hats and the Black branch, of which two of them are categorized under Lamaism. The leader of the Yellow Hats sect of Lamaism is Dalai Lama, aka Chen-re-zig or Avalokitesvara or Guan-Yin in various languages, and used to rule Tibet for a long time until he was exiled in 1952.
Dalai Lama, is reincarnation of what is believed to be an emanation of the great Boddhisatwa. After the demise of each Dalai Lama the spirit of Dalai Lama goes on to dwell on the body of a Tibetan child at birth. The present Dalai Lama is 14th incarnation
Tibet has many monasteries and Buddhist temples where monks and nuns live and others go to worship and meditate. According to Senchen Losangtsengzang, former abbot of Tashilhunpo Monastery, Tibet today has 1400 monasteries and 34000 monks and nuns living in these monasteries.
Lhasa
Lhasa, located at an altitude of 3607 m from the sea level, is the capital city of Tibet. The name Lhasa comes from Tibetan word which means goat dirt suggesting that the city was built on dirt carried by goats. People also call it the city of sun because of its excellent sunshine at the high altitude. The attractions of the city are Potala palace and Jokhang temple and the antique architecture of the buildings.
Potala Palace
Potala palace is the greatest monumental structures and one of the chief attractions of Tibet. The stunningly beautiful 13 story palace sits atop the Red Hill, 130m, and overlooks the beauty of Lhasa valley. It is decorated with breathtaking architecture with 1000 halls and 10,000 chapels. Beams and pillars line the palace with frescos and murals that tell some religious facts or narrate a historic event.
The relic developed as a museum previously used to be the residence of Dalai Lama and center of Tibet’s administrative and political activities. It is a famous pilgrimage site of Tibetan Buddhist who go there to visit the tombs of eight previous Dalai Lamas.
The palace originally built by King Srong-tsan-gam-po and Princess Wen-Cheng in the seventh century was largely destroyed in the medieval era before it was finally reconstructed by the fifth Dalai Lama in seventeenth century.
The palace was constructed in two phases as Red Palace and White palace, much of which remains today. The White palace constructed in 1645 to 1648 consisted of Dalai Lama’s residence and the Red Palace consists of architectures.
Potala, which is the name of a mountain in South India, is believed to be the residence of Avalokitesvara or Guan-Yin who is considered to be the father of Tibet and rein carted as King Tsrong Chong Gampo.
Jokhang Temple
Located in the heart of Lhasa, Jokhang is considered to be the most important temple in Tibet. Jokhang means a Buddhist temple. It was built by King Srong-tsan-gam-po and Nepalese Princess Bhrikuti. Later Princess Jin-Cheng after marrying into Tibet moved all relics of Princess Wen-Cheng here. It used to be the site of Tibetan government in Qing Dynasty. There are many stores around it. The temple has a statue of seated Sakyamuni which people believe was sculptured by Buddha, himself. The temple is a major pilgrimage site of the devotees and is full of worshippers during the great annual prayer festivals. For several years it used to be the site of the Tibetan government.
Sera Monastery
Located on the foothill of the Sara Wuzi Mountain in northern Lhasa, Sara monastery is one of the well-known Buddhist Temples. The monastery which was constructed in clearing woods of Wild Roses derives its name from the word Sara – whose meaning in Tibetan is wild roses. Even today it is famous for its rose garden nearby. It was built in 1419 by Saga Yeshes, one of the disciples of Zongkaba founder of the Gelug sect of Buddhism. The monastery, where 5500 monks used to study in the olden days as per the decree of the Quing Emperor Quin Long, has many palaces and monk villages around its coverage of 114,964 square meters.
The center of the Monastery has Cuoqin Palace, which has a statue of the monastery builder Sakyayixi, Buddha statue ("Qiangba") and color-molded standing Bodhisattva statue on both sides. It also houses the 105 letters mowed Tibetan scripture given by Ming Dynasty (1386 ~ 1644A.D.) emperor Zhuli.
The second dignified palace Jizhacang, is enshrined with the legend protagonist "Horse-head Buddha" and inside the Abazhacang Palace, 18 Buddhist Saints with their own lively expressions made from white sandalwood given by Ming Emperor Zhuli (1386 ~ 1644A.D.) are enshrined.
The Sutra Hall is enshrined with bronze statues of Sakyamuni, Maitreya, Longevity Buddha, Medicine King, Goddess of Music, Zongkapa and two of his disciples, the 7th Dalai Lama and the 3rd Living Buddha Cermoiling
In the Sutra Hall is the statue of Sakyamuni flanked by statues of Zongkapa and two of his disciples, and the 13th Dalai Lama. Frescoes on the four walls tell Buddhist and Tantric stories, and contain figures of Gsang-dur-rao-rje and Bodhisattva, eminent monks in the history of Buddhism. They are all superbly painted.
The Sera Monastery has a rich collection of cultural relics, many of which are considered to be of state class. They include statues of Buddha, Thangka paintings, frescoes, Buddhist scriptures, Buddhist objects and sacrificial articles. The monastery also owns a silk Thangka painting of Sagya Yeshes which is now part of the collection of the Cultural Relics Management Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Of these cultural relics, the most important are the 108-volume Beijing-edition Gangyur printed in cinnabar in 1410, which Ming Dynasty Yeshes. They constitute the first Tibetan part of Tripitaka printed with carved printing blocks in China.
Today, the Sera Monastery shines as one of the holy places for the Tibetan monks to study Buddhism and perform Buddhist rituals, and for the Tibetans to worship Buddha.
Drepung Monastery
8kms from Lahssa, built in 1416 as an institute of higher Buddhist education in the northern outskirts of Lhasa by Khenpo Lekden, a disciple of Lama Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), founder of the eclectic Gelug School, Drepung monastery used to one of Tibet’s largest monastic universities.
At its zenith, the Drepung Loseling housed about ten thousand monk students from various countires like China, India and Russia and Mongoloia. Originally it housed 7700 monks by the same royal decree.
Today, it remains as the relic of Buddism education and houses 600 monks. It has a white conch and gilded statue of Buddha.
Ganden Monastery
Founded in Lhasa in 1409 by Tsongkhapa, Ganden Monastery is the first and the main monastery of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It is located at a vantage point from where viewers can get an excellent view of the Lhasa valley.
The monastery set in 100 acres land with 370 rooms, has 3300 monks by a royal decree.
"Ganden" is the Tibetan name for the paradise of the Buddha of the Future. According to scriptures, the arrival of this Buddha will herald the end of the world's sufferings. This name therefore suggests the salutary wish that Ganden monastery would become a route to the world's salvation.
The three main sites to visit around Ganden monastery are Serdung containing a golden tomb of founder and the first abbot Tsongkhapa and the the Tsokchen Assembly Hall and the Ngam Cho Khang Chapel where Tsongkhapa traditionally taught his students. Many tourists opt to trek around an hour along the pilgrimage rout savoring the beauty of Lhasa River Valley from a vantage point of 4500 meters. You can get a lot of insights to the Tibetan culture as you walk along the trail flanked by colorful prayer flags.
This is the only monastery whose head is the abbot of the monastery himself and not Dalai Lama.
Norbulinka
Norbhu Lingka is another of the beautiful monasteries in Lhasa. The monastery is stunningly beautiful as suggested by the name which means a visiting park in Tibetan language. Quing governor Chi-Shan constructed the original buildings on a wet land near a river in the eighteenth century which soon became the summer haven for Dalai Lamas who spent 10 months every year in this monastery.
Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon (Brahmaputra River)
The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon is the deepest canyon in the world and regarded as the most beautiful canyon in China. Stretching 505 km (314 miles), the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon starts from Daduka Village, Mainling County at an altitude of 2,880 meters in the north to Pasighat Village, Mêdog County at an altitude of 115 meters (377 feet) in the south.
The Tsangpo Canyon is the biggest channel for aqueous vapor from the Indian Ocean to access the Tibet Plateau. Therefore the Tsangpo Canyon is very moist, with dense forests and various wildlife.
Combining high mountains, turning canyons, and great waterfalls, it is no doubt that the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon is an amazing natural phenomenon, and a great treasure for mankind.
Xigatse
Xigatse is a prefecture and also a small town 225 km west of Lhasa with many interesting places to visit. The city which once used to be capital of Tibet, houses the famous and beautiful Tashilhunpo monastery. You can easily pick up a travel permit at Xigatse in a few hours wait at the police station which allows you to travel any where in this prefecture, up to the Nepalese border. The major attractions of this prefecture are Sakya, Gyantse, Mount Everest and Tingri.
Tashilhunpo Monastery
Tashilhunpo, which literally means lucky mountain, is the largest of the four major monasteries of Tibet. The first Dalai Lama built it in 1447 and also served as the first Abott of the Monastery. Later, it became the residence of the Panchen Lamas, who are believed to be the emanation of Buddha O – Pa – Me, Buddha of eternal light.
The Tashilhunpo monastery was so well known for its beautiful architecture that a replica was built in honor of Quing Emperor Qian – Long at Chende, of Hebei Province in China, when the sixth Panchen Lama visited Beijing. The replica, which spreads over an area of 37900 square meters, is also known as Sumeru Longevity. The tenth Panchen Lama died in Tashilhunpo in 1989.
Gyantse
The third largest city of Tibet, Gyantse, is famous for the battle it and its people fought against the British troops in 1903. Even today, the horses and carts lining the streets of this city on the Kathmandu Lhasa highway give an impression of a frontier city. Also known as the `City of Heroes', This 700 hundred years old agricultural town in Gyangzê County of Shigatse Prefecture 3977 metres (13050 feet) above sea level 254 km west of Lhasa is also well known for its carpet production.
Palchor (Pelkor) Temple: The major attraction of is the Kumbum and the Pelkor Chode monastery. The Kumbum was commissioned in 1440. It rises over four symmetrical floors plus two upper floors and is capped with a gold dome. Approximately 70 chapels are housed in the Kumbum and a total of 108 of them as per the Buddhist tradition. True to name Kumbum – whose literal meaning is 10,000 images – the walls are filled with 10,000 murals.
Immediately adjoining the Kumbum is the Pelkor Chode monastery. While undistinguished from the outside, the monastery has ample things of interest in it. The monks had just completed three large mandalas in honor of the 4th lunar month when Sakyamuni was born, achieved enlightenment, and nirvana. The mandalas represent "concentration" and the "unity of opposing forces." The sand mandalas were made from crushed stones, then dyed and arranged within four days. They were displayed for 15 days and then scattered into local rivers as blessings.
The pagoda (Chor-Ten) temple built in Ming Dynasty was famous for its tolerance of all branches of Buddhism. In the medieval period of Tibet, it served as a peaceful refuge from religious war fares.
Tingri
A small town on the Kathmandu- Lhasa highway is the best to get a good view of Everest. The town with good selection of Hotels and Guest Houses is a very good place to spend a night with a good view of Mount Everest at a close proximity. Those who want more adventure can also opt of a trek to Everest Base Camp, which is a four days walk on a camping trek.
Latse
It is the threshold to the pilgrims or travelers to Mount Kailash or crossing over to Nepal. The city on the way to the Mount Kailash is the last point connected with road. Also known as Chusar, this small town has a lot of shops and a few guesthouses.
Namtso Lake:
Namtso Lake is one of the most beautiful places that a visitor to Tibet must not miss. At the altitude of 4720 meters. Namtso is the salt-water lake located 240 km north of Lhasa at Damxung County and Baingo County in Tibet Autonomous Region,. It was selected as one of the five most beautiful lakes in China by Chinese National Geography magazine in November 2005. With an area of 1961 square km, Namtso is the largest lake in Tibet and second in China only after the Quinghai Lake. During the Year of the Sheep in the Tibetan calendar believers make a pilgrimage tour to Namtso. The blue sky, with white cloud surrounding the giant snow mountains will purge your soul whether you are a Buddhist believer or not.
Namtso, whose literal meaning is 'Heavenly Lake.' stands as the symbols of purity and solemn ness of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with its immense natural beauty. It is considered one of the three holy lakes in Tibet.
The lake maintains its water-level from rainfall and melted snow flowing from high mountains, particularly the Mount……… in its South which is considered the brother of Namtso.
The crystal-clear still water surface meets the clear sky at distant horizon creating a beautiful vista that holds the viewers spellbound.
It has five islands of which Liangduo is the largest. In addition, another five bylands stretch into the lake from different directions. The bylands are filled with bizarre stone structures and grottos.
The best time to visit the Namtso lake is Summer, when Wild yaks, hares and other wild animals leisurely look for food along the expansive lake shores; countless migratory birds fly here to lay eggs and feed their young; sometimes lovely fishes in the lake jump out of the lake water, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine; sheep and cows herds are like flowing white blanks on the green grassland which can stretch as far as your eyes can see; the dulcet songs of Gauchos resound through the valleys. This time of the year Namtso Lake is full of life and activity. Therefore it is no wonder Tibetans take Namtso Lake the symbol of goodliness and happiness. Really Namtso Lake is a blessing from nature.
Tsetang (Tsedang) (Zetang)
Tsetang is the capital of the Shannan region and the birthplace of earliest Tibetans, sits on the south bank in the middle section of the Yarlung Tsangbo River with a moderate climate at an altitude of 3,600m. It is bounded by the capital city Lhasa to the north, Xigaze to the west, Nyingchi to the east and India and Bhutan to the south. The nearby Yarlung River scenic area is a national scenic park with Samye Monastery, Yumbu Lakang Palace and burial site for Tsampos and Traduk Monastery spotting the region.
Samye
Built in the mid-8th century, Samye is the first formal Buddhist Monastery with the Buddha Dharma and Sangha in Tibet. Expansively constructed monastery is designed in the shape of "mandala" layout, it is well-known to the world for the highlighted and mixed perfection of Han, Tibetan and Indian architecture style in the main hall and the numerous relics such as wood and stone carvings, frescos and statues kept in the monastery. As described in a historical book, this monastery is considered as "an unimaginable construction and incomparable monastery".
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