Tibetpedia

Tag: Temple

  • Zö ( Hezuo)

    Zö ( Hezuo)

    A lot Packed into Two Letters

    Zö (གཙོས་) means “antelope” in Tibetan. It also signifies the city of Zö (or Hezuo in Chinese). As the capitol of Gannan Tibet Autonomous Prefecture, Zö is naturally the economic, political, educational, and cultural center of the prefecture. Zö lies on the northeastern edge of the Tibetan plateau at an average elevation of 3,000 meters. In 2015, its population was 90,000 people and it represented 24 ethnic groups. The vast majority of residents, however, are Tibetan.

    Good lodging and great dining are easy to find in Zö. Want good entertainment? You’re in luck. Zö is home to the largest Tibetan opera theater in Gannan Prefecture. If you want to see professionals dance and sing in traditional Tibetan performances, make sure you go to the opera in town. It is open nightly, except in the winter season. Remarkably, the opera troupe from Zo performed in Israel in December 2017.

    Gannan Breakdown

    Gannan Tibet Autonomous Prefecture was founded in 1953 with seven counties and one city. Those counties are Lintan county ( Tibetan:ལིན་ཐན་རྫོང་།, Chinese:临潭县), Jonê county ( Tibetan:ཅོ་ནེ་རྫོང་།  Chinese: 卓尼县, Luqu county ( Tibetan:ཀླུ་ཆུ་རྫོང་། Chinese: Luqu 碌曲县), Maqu county ( Tibetan:རྨ་ཆུ་རྫོང་།, Chinese: 玛曲县), Tewo county( Tibetan: ཐེ་བོ་རྫོང་། Chinese: 迭部县)，Zhouqu county ( Tibetan: འབྲུག་ཆུ་རྫོང་། Chinese: 舟曲县), and Xiahe county ( Tibetan: བསང་ཆུ་རྫོང་། Chinese:夏河县) with Hezuo (Zö གཙོས་གྲོང་ཁྱེར) being the city. 

    Zö – Hezuo Century Square

    Right in the middle of the city, as in many other Chinese places, is a town square. Hezuo Century Square was built in 2000 and has become the cultural and communal heart of the city. People gather there in the morning for exercise. Local shows and other forms of entertainment pop up in the square from time to time. Most importantly, every evening at 7:00 pm people of all ages come to the square to dance the traditional Tibetan circle dance. Anyone can jump in.

    Milarepa Fame

    The famous Milarepa Temple towers above the main road toward Xiahe, about two kilometers from the bus station. Milarepa lived in the twelfth century and stands out among Tibet’s most famous Buddhist teachers (of the Kagyu tradition). The temple in his name was built in 1777. It was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution but was rebuilt in 1988. Each of its nine floors displays many varieties of Buddhist statues, deities, and scriptures. Local Tibetans circumambulate the temple daily.

    Gansu Normal University for Nationalities is located in southwest Zo, about two kilometers from the center of the city. Founded in 1984, the university is renowned for its beauty. Presently, there are over 10,000 students and 700 faculty.

  • Jokhang Temple

    Jokhang Temple

    Standing four stories tall, spread over an area of about 25,000 square meters in the heart of Lhasa, the UNESCO World Heritage Jokhang Temple (ཇོ་ཁང་།) with its golden roof is an esoteric blend of local Tibetan elements with Nepalese, Chinese, and Indian influences.

    The spinning of prayer wheels, murmur of mantras, and humble prostrations of devout pilgrims all year long but especially at Losar during the Great Prayer Festival show the significance of this revered spiritual center of Tibet.

    Destroyed twice during the anti-Buddhist movements in the late 7th century and middle of the 9th century, and once during the Chinese Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, the spectacular Jokhang Temple has been regularly expanded and extensively reconstructed over the years.

    The History Behind Jokhang Temple

    The impressive Jokhang Temple was initiated in 647 AD by the famous King Songtsen Gampo, the first King of Unified Tibet during the Tang Dynasty. In order to strengthen ties with neighboring Nepal, he married Princess Bhrikuti in 630AD, who was the Nepalese king’s sister. In her dowry, she brought the statue of Akshobhya Buddha (or Mikyoba). Later on in 641AD, he took Princess Wencheng as his second wife, who was related to Tang Chinese emperor. Princess Wencheng also brought the statue of Jowo Sakyamuni Buddha.

    In order to house the two statues of Akshobhya Buddha and Jowo Sakyamuni Buddha, two temples were built on Lake Wothang. The Ramoche Temple was built to hold the statue of Jowo Sakyamuni. After some time, the King also ordered the erection of the Rasa Trulnang Tsuglag Khang, another temple to contain the statue of Akshobhya Buddha. After the death of the King in 649 AD, Queen Wencheng transferred the statue of Jowo Sakyamuni from the Ramoche temple and hid it away in the temple of Rasa Trulnang Tsuglag Khang during the Chinese invasion. The Akshobhya Vajra statue then traded places with former and moved to the Ramoche temple. Later in 710 AD, the Rasa Trulnang Tsuglag Khang Temple was renamed Jokhang, which means ‘Shrine of the Jowo’.

    Originally the temple consisted of only eight shrines. But later on it was renovated and expanded during the Yuan Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty, and the Qing Dynasty to the massive monastery it is today.

    Outside a section of Jokang Temple
    From 8 shrines, Jokhang Temple has grown across many dynasties into the impressive temple it is today

    Legends Surrounding the Jokhang Temple

    There are various legends surrounding the establishment of the Jokhang Temple. One legend states that Queen Bhrikuti established the temple to contain the statue, while Queen Wencheng picked the location according to the astrological signs and geomancy divination. Lake Wothang was believed to be the center of demonic forces and only a grand temple on the spot would drive away the evils preventing the spread of Buddhism in Tibet.

    According to another legend, the King tossed his ring into the air for the spirits to indicate where he should construct the temple. Upon falling into a lake, a stupa surfaced from the water. The temple site at the lake was filled with sand carried by a thousand goats from a faraway mountain, thus giving it its first name, Rasa (‘ra’ is goat and ‘sa’ is earth in Tibetan).

    Architectural Highlights

    The outside of the temple is adorned with the early representations of Buddhism such as deer and wheel motifs, while the interior presents a maze of chapels devoted to different gods and bodhisattvas and a significant collection of cultural artifacts surrounded by candles and incense. The holiest object in Tibet, a life-size statue of Jowo Shakyamuni adorned with jewels, is the heart of the Jokhang Temple.

  • Lhasa

    Lhasa

    Lhasa (ལྷ་ས་) has been considered the capital of the Tibetan peoples since as early as the 7th century. After conquering several surrounding kingdoms and two significant political marriages with Chinese and Nepali princesses, Songtsan Gampo became the first leader of a unified Tibetan Empire. He began construction on a palace which formed the foundation and determined the design of the current Potala Palace. In 641, he built the Jokhang Temple to house a treasured gold statue of Siddartha Guattama dating back to the Buddha’s lifetime.

    jokhang_temple_lhasa
    Pilgrims visit Lhasa from all corners of Tibet to worship at the Jokhang Temple

    Modern day Lhasa is interesting in and of itself. Though there is a larger Chinese population in the city than Tibetans these days, they have predominatly settled on the Western side of the city. The Central and Eastern parts of town are where you will find the majority of the Tibetan population and all of the significant cultural sights.

    When traveling to Lhasa, there are a few things to remember. Due to it’s location within the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), you will need both a Tibet Travel Permit (TTP) and a Chinese Visa to enter Lhasa as a foreign traveler. Once you arrive, especially if you have come by air, it is important to remember that with such a dramatic change in elevation every traveler will experience at least minor discomfort. This includes minor headaches, disturbed sleep, lack of appetite, and sometimes minor dizziness, so take things easy for the first couple of days. The body naturally adjusts within two to three days, although some find themselves fine after the first day, but watch yourself and your traveling companions for  elevation related symptoms. While the vast majority of people will be fine after two or three days, in serious cases medical evacuation may be neccessary, so don’t take this too lightly.

    lhasa_from_drepung
    Drepung monastery sits on the north side of town with a beautiful view of the Lhasa valley

     

    Lhasa (or Lasa (拉萨) in Mandarin) is home to many cultural relics, including three UNESCO world heritage sites – the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Norbulingka (and Summer Palace). The three most popular Gelugpa sect monasteries can all be accessed from Lhasa: Drepung and Sera monasteries sit just outside of the city; Ganden monastery is just over an hour away, so many make a day trip out of it. Sera Monastery is famous for their live debates starting at 3pm Monday to Friday (sometimes Saturday), and many visitors are drawn like a bug to the flame to watch these lively conversations. Barkhor Plaza and Old Town surrounds Jokhang Temple with bustling foot traffic. Souvenir shops, jewelry and clothing stores, and restaurants abound, which makes walking the stone paved alleys around Barkhor Plaza and Old Town a cultural experience in and of itself.

    A variety of cuisine can be found in Lhasa, and often all within the same menu. You can enjoy a decent burger and fries while, your companion can choose anything from Nepali set meals to Indian curries or Tibetan momos. The majority of chefs at Lhasa’s best restaurants are Nepali.

    Your guide can help you book tickets to visit the Potala Palace, which is a must see. The maze of candle lit rooms on the inside is fascinating, and the park on the backside of the palace is refreshingly beautiful. Take an evening after dinner to stroll in the square, and snap some night photography of the Potala Palace.

    potala_palace_courtyard_lhasa
    The beauty of the Potala Palace rises over Lhasa and is visible from anywhere in the Lhasa valley

    Though the ticket price is high (seats start at approximately $60 USD), the live outdoor theater performance of Princess Wencheng is impossible to describe with words or capture with a camera. It has a cast of 800 members, along with live yaks, sheep, and horses all featured on the 150m wide stage. With the mountains south of Lhasa as the backdrop, the show begins at dark, and lasts for an hour and a half.

    While visiting Lhasa, many travellers make their way outside of the city to Yamdrok Lake. Yamdrok is a freshwater lake over 72kms long, and it is one of the biggest sacred lakes in Tibet. Being located only 100km south of the city makes it a popular day trip.

    For travelers who are interested, the New Year (Losar), Saga Dawa, and Chökor Düchen festivals are three of the biggest yearly festivals celebrated in Lhasa. Particularly the New Year and Saga Dawa festivals see the city splashed with colour, with thousands of pilgrims coming to the holy city from all corners of Tibet.

  • Yulshul (Yushu)

    Yulshul (Yushu)

    Mostly inhabited by Tibetans, Yushu (ཡུལ་ཤུལ།)  is located in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the southern Qinghai province of China. The town, also referred to as Jyekundo (སྐྱེ་དགུ་མདོ།), Gyêgu, Gyêgudo or Jiegu is a multi-ethnic town with Tibetan nomadic residents and Han Chinese traders. Yushu lies at an elevation of 4,000 meters and has the fountainheads of Asia’s three great rivers – the Yellow River, the Yangtze River, and the Mekong River. The rivers are part of the Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve in the region.  Besides the Tongtian River Bridge, a stone column inscribed with the reserve’s name was given by the former president, Jiang Zemin.

    Jyekundo Dondrubling Monastery

    The Jyekundo Monastery is found on a hill overlooking Yushu Town and belongs to the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism. In the past, a Bon Temple was present on the site, but later in 1398, Jyekundo Temple was constructed in its place. It consisted of 16 temples and was home to around 500 monks before the earthquake of 2010 hit the area.

    Gyanak Mani Temple

    About 6 kilometers east of Jyekundo Town is the Gyanak (Jiana) Mani Stone Field which has an enormous collection of carved prayer stones depicting Buddha sculptures ad mantras. There are over 2 million prayer stones stacked on top of each other spread across a square kilometer and reaching a height of 3 meters. Pilgrims from across the region pay a visit to the temple and make koras of the stone pile.

    Temple of Princess Wencheng

    Located 20 kilometers south outside of Yushu Town, the temple honors  Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty when she was on her way to Lhasa in the 7th century. Every Tibetan New Year, devotees visit the temple and perform a kora. The area surrounding the temple consists of thousands of prayer flags and offers picturesque views of the grasslands below and snowy mountains far away.

    Yushu Tibet - Small
    Row of stupas in Yushu

    Qinghai Yushu Horse Racing Festival

    Every year on 25th July, a Horse Racing Festival is held in the grasslands of the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the Qinghai Province for sturdy Khampas to display their sportsmanship. The Yushu Horse Racing Festival is attended by Tibetan nomads across the Kham region, who set up tents for the week-long festivities. The warm weather transforms the valley into lush green spaces ideal for camping and horse racing. Apart from the traditional horse races, there is also folk singing and dancing, Buddhist ceremonies and various other sports and activities as part of the festival. Tibetan herbs and handicrafts are also widely sold during the event. Women dress in their best traditional gowns and ornaments, while monks are seen clad in red robes. The tribal men wear robes with tiger stripes or panther skins.

  • Nyiden (Yading)

    Nyiden (Yading)

    Yading Village is small rural establishment in Daocheng County of the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province of China. Located on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Yading village is 3,700 meters above sea level. Yading village and its surrounding sights are part of the Shangri-la Natural Tourist Zone. Yading in Tibetan is referred to as Nyiden (ཉིན་སྟེང་།), which means ‘facing the sun’. Yading Village serves as base for exploration to the breathtaking Yading Nature Reserve.

    Yading Village Field Tibet
    Field found in Yading with beautiful landscape of the mountains in the background, untouched by industrialization.

    Yading Nature Reserve

    Honored as the last Shangri-la, the last pure land on earth and the holy land in the sun, Yading Nature Reserve is characterized by snow-covered mountains, vast green meadows, crystal clear rivers, glacier-fed lakes, and dense forests. It occupies an area of 1,344 square kilometers and has an average altitude of well over 4,000 meters. This mountain sanctuary comprises of the three holy mountains that have an altitude of around 6,000 meters – Chenrezig, Jampayang, and Chenadorje. The Yading Reserve serves as an important Tibetan pilgrimage location as the Fifth Dalai Lama sanctified the three mountain peaks.

    The three holy mountains are in a triangle formation cradling clear rivers, forested valleys, pristine lakes and exquisite wildlife. The area surrounding the three mountains is called Rigsum Gonpo. The highest of the three is Mount Chenrezig at 6,032 meters and signifies the Bodhisattva of Mercy. At the foot of the mountain is the clear Pearl Lake (Zhenzhu Hai). Mount Jambeyang, with an altitude of 5,958 meters, represents the Bodhisattva of Wisdom while Mount Chanadorje, with similar height, represents the Bodhisattva of Power.

    Gongga Chonggu Temple

    This 800-year old temple built during the Yuan Dynasty is now just fragments of broken walls as it has been severely damaged over the years. The remnants of Chonggu Monastery lie at the foot of Mount Chenrezig and consist of a Shijia sculpture in the chapel. Nevertheless, lamas can be seen reading Buddhist scriptures and murmuring religious songs at the Chonggu Monastery.

    Luorong Pasture

    Luorong Grassland is an elevated plateau (4,150 meters) that offers a spectacular vantage point of the three sacred mountains. It consists of lush green grass and winding streams and ponds. Not only does it offer a place for cattle and sheep to graze, but also lodging facilities to visitors.

    Wusu (Five Color Lake) and Niunai Lake (Milk Lake)

    Yading Milk Lake
    The jewel like lakes in Yading are fed by glacier run-off. This one is known as “milk lake”

    Milk Lake is created from a glacier runoff and boasts a milky turquoise color. It is bordered on one side by mountain-sized cliffs. Close to Milk Lake is the Five Color Lake which is surrounded by mountains on three sides and flows into the Zheduo River. Both these lakes are between Chenrezig and Jambeyang mountains and in sunlight, present an awesome burst of kaleidoscope colors.

  • Lhagang (Tagong)

    Lhagang (Tagong)

    A small, picturesque town located in the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of western Sichuan Province, Lhagang (ལྷ་སྒང་།) is home to scenic grasslands, devoted monks and Tibetan nomads with their thousands of thick-coated yaks. Lhagang, also known as Tagong (塔公) in Chinese, is situated in the ancient Kham region in southwest China at an altitude of 3,700m. This treasured place in the foothills of the Tibetan plateau is around 110 kilometers from Kangding city. The town of Tagong features traditional Tibetan-style houses built from stone.

    As a tourist attraction, Tagong is a Wild West town offering an insight into the local Tibetan Buddhist culture with its monasteries, as well as horse riding, hiking, and Tibetan homestays.

    Historical Temples

    Tagong, meaning ‘favorite place of bodhisattva’ in the local language, is home to Tagong Monastery and Lhagang Monastery. The historic Tagong Monastery (Lhagang Gompa) is right in the town center while the Lhagang Monastery is at a ten minute walk south of the town center.

    Tagong Monastery (Small Jokhang Temple)

    The famous Tagong Monastery was built during the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911) to honor the journey of Princess Wencheng on her way to Lhasa for her wedding to Tibetan King, Songtsen Gampo. It houses the replica of the sacred statue of Jowo Sakya-muni Buddha at Jokhang Temple in Lhasa along with scriptures of the Sakya Buddhist sect and other cultural relics more than 10,000 years old. A major three-day Buddha event is held at the end of June every year at the Monastery.

    Lhagang Monastery

    At the foothills of the sacred snowcapped mountain lies the Lhagang Monastery. The Lhagang Monastery consists of the Muya Golden Pagoda, which was built in 1997. The Muya Golden Pagoda was gifted by a Living Buddha of Zhuqing Monastery. It has a 100-kilogram pure gold roof in the center of the monastery’s four towers and honors the Living Buddha 10th Panchan.

    Tagong People of Tibet
    Meeting at the monastery to learn and pray.

    Tagong Grasslands

    Tagong Grasslands are a vast expanse of meadow covering an area of 712.37 square kilometers. These beautiful grasslands are home to Tibetan nomads grazing their herds of yaks and living in traditional black yak wool tents. A Horse Race Festival is held in the grasslands every year at the beginning of the eight month of the lunar calendar. Local Tibetan herdsmen in great numbers get together to watch the sport and attend the Tibetan opera. These festivities are witness to the authentic Kham Tibetan culture.

    Yaks near Tagong
    Yaks travelling across the grasslands of Tagong

    Mount Yala

    Mount Yala is located at an altitude of 5,820m in the midst of Danba, Kangding and Daofu and is covered with snow all year round. With the magnificent Golden Padoga and captivating grasslands, Mount Yala presents spectacular views and hiking opportunities. Mount Yala is worshiped by Tibetan people as the area’s patron saint. The Yala river sprouts from the Yala Mountain and merges with the Dadu river up ahead.

     

  • Barkham (Maerkang)

    Barkham (Maerkang)

    The prefectural capital of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, sometimes known as Barkham (འབར་ཁམས), Maerkang (马尔康) holds a mostly Han Chinese population of around 50,000, with some Tibetans as well. Because of its elevation, Maerkang has a unique climate resting somewhere between subtropical and humid continental, where monsoons are not uncommon.

    Maerkang hillside
    See the large hills around Maerkang

    Sightseeing In the Area

    Maerkang, which in Tibetan means “The Place Lightened by Butter Lamps,” is not the most tourist-friendly place to visit as almost no one speaks English and it can be difficult to find a way to travel to and from here. Many places will not rent rooms or offer a place to sleep to foreigners, although you may get lucky and find a local who is willing to help. Despite all this, there are still plenty of sites to see in the area. The Dazang Temple is a popular destination, with a wonderful view of the ancient block houses below and beautiful views of the snowcapped mountains and plant life in the area. Near the towns of Songgang and Shaerzong, both are nice places to stop for a bite to eat and take in more historical sites.

    The Maerkang Temple

    Located on Zangkou Mountain, the Maerkang Temple is another popular destination for visitors. Not only does this temple offer a look at a historic site, but from the mountainside, views of the valley below are plentiful. From the base of Zangkou Mountain, the Suomo River Canyon flows all the way to the Baiwan Township.

    Maerkang
    View from the hillside, Maerkang is small in comparison to China’s mainland cities.

    A Chance to View History

    Not far from Maerkang, roughly ten minutes away, is the village of Zhoukeji. Here you can see the renovated watchtower fortress, which was formerly occupied by Mao Zedong. He stayed here several times during the Long March. For a steep price you can gain entry and also have another view of the surrounding landscape. Across from the watchtower is a small village featuring many traditional Tibetan architectural structures.

    Take In The Scenic Beauty

    Some of the best scenic locations in the area are only a short distance away from Maerkang, in Miyaluo, which some describe as almost like a fairy tale in autumn. Mostly overgrown vegetation, clear water from the mountains, vast plant and animal life, and the red leaves that cover the area that time of year offer an abundance of photo opportunities. Complete with flowing rivers and waterfalls, giant maple trees and even bubbling hot springs, the area is great for anyone looking for solace or inspiration.

    Events for Visitors

    During certain times of the year, the area is also host to a number of festivals and events including new years and many horse racing events complete with barley wine, music and plenty of traditional food.

  • Labrang Monastery

    Labrang Monastery

    In the Tibetan area of Amdo, the Xiahe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu, the Labrang Monastery(བླ་བྲང་དགོན་པ།) houses the largest population of monks outside of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. The site is a popular tourist destination and only a four-hour drive from the provincial capital of Lanzhou.

    History

    To Tibetan Buddhists this is one of the most important monasteries today and sits at a very strategic location between the two cultures of Mongolians and Tibetans. In the early years of the 20th century, it was the most influential and largest monastery in the Amdo region. It not only housed several thousand monks, but was also home to the largest Buddhist monastic university at the time.

    First founded in 1709, through the centuries it has been near the center of many gruesome conflicts and changes in the political landscape. Many of these conflicts, which have continued well into the 1950’s and beyond, have left their mark on the monastery’s legacy. Between 1917 and 1949, several riots and attacks took place against Labrang Monastery from the Chinese Muslim Ma clique, who even occupied the monastery at one point.

    The Assembly hall of the monastery was burned to the ground in early 1985, along with many of its religious and cultural artifacts. It was eventually replaced five years later with a new building.

    Visiting Labrang Monastery

    The monastery combines multiple architectural styles including traditional Indian Vihara and Tibetan styles, to create a beautiful and unique compound. The monastery is so large in fact, that you may need more than a day to see all it has to offer. The compound is made up of six learning institutes, a Sutra debate hall, eighteen separate halls and an abundance of Sutra housed here. Within the halls and Buddhist museum located inside, you can find a massive collection of Buddha statues, murals, and religious artifacts on display.

    During certain times of the year you may come across one of the many Buddhist ceremonies held here and due to its significance and size, many Buddhist festivals are celebrated here with debates, praying and huge ceremonies.

    Notable Stops

    There are several notable locations for visitors to see while in Labrang Monastery that have become popular with tourists over the years, including some new locations. The Thangka Sunning Terrace located on a hillside over a river, is a flat slope made of stone where you can get one of the best views of the Monastery and its surrounding landscape. During the Tibetan New Year, this is where the massive Thangka is unrolled for all to see.

    Many visitors make sure to stop and view the beautifully colored prayer wheels inside. These are continuously spun by pilgrims hoping for rewards in the next life; many also visit the newly built Gongtang Chorten, with its golden top and beautiful views. The most popular stop however, is the Man Jus’ri Temple located towards the rear of the main courtyard. Many pilgrims stop near the yak butter sculptures to make offering and pray to the living Buddhas contained in the silver Chortens nearby. The Temple also houses many extravagant Buddha statues and artifacts along its walls and often time the monks chanting can be heard echoing through the halls.

  • Kawa Gabo

    Kawa Gabo

    Highest Peak

    On the border of Zayu, Zogang, and Deqen County in Yunnan lies Kawa Gabo(ཁ་བ་དཀར་པོ།), the highest peak along the Meili Xue Shan, or the “Mainri Snowy Range”. As a whole, this peak and range are a part of the much larger Hengduan Shan, which borders the eastern side of the Tibetan Plateau as well as western Sichuan. With six peaks that reach over 6,000 meters and twenty more permanently covered in snow, the massive collection of mountains sits between the Lancangjiang River and the Salween River.

    Meili Snow Mountain 1.0
    Stupa in front of Kawa Gabo Mountain.

    History of the Climb

    The Kawa Gabo peak itself reaches 6,740 meters, and with dangerous vertical cliffs, it has created near impossible conditions to reach the summit. Numerous attempts have been made over the years, only to meet with tragic results. The primary attempt made by the Joetsu Alpine Club from Japan in 1987 had failed early on. Three years later the Academic Alpine Club from Kyoto University, paired with a Chinese unit, drew large protest from the Tibetans because of the mountain’s significance to their culture and religion. After moving ahead with the climb in spite of protests, the team was met with an avalanche on the night on January 3, 1991; all 17 individuals were presumed dead. The same club returned just five years later in 1996 to give another attempt, but had failed just as their predecessors.

    And finally, an American team guided by Nicholas Clinch made several unsuccessful attempts on different peaks along the mountain between 1988 and 1993. After years of failed attempts, death, injury, and protest, the government banned any future attempts in 2001.

    Kawa Gabo
    The sun hitting Kawa Gabo mountain.

    Protests Surrounding Kawa Gabo

    Tibetan Buddhists believe this mountain to be the spiritual home of the warrior God Kawagarbo and throughout Tibet, it is visited by over 20,000 visitors each year looking to make their 240 kilometer pilgrimage around the peak. The ancient shamanistic religion, Bön, believed in a world filled with good and evil spirits, many of which are still recognized and relevant today.

    Years of protests of climbing parties was due to the fact that Tibetans believe Kawagarbo will abandon them if any human reaches the peak. Stepping foot here would unleash disasters upon their villages and leave them unprotected by the Gods; this was not something the Tibetan people took lightly.

    The Retreating Mingyong Glacier

    From the east of Kawa Gabo, lies the sacred Mingyong Glacier, reaching into the Mekong River valley below. To signify its importance to their religion, two temples have been built on its lower edge.

    One of these temples however, Taizi Temple, holds a significance to the scientific community as well. It has been a key factor in observing the almost 7% decrease of the Mingyong Glacier annually. Many believe this is due to the warming climate in Deqin over the years. This climate shift’s impact on Mingyong Village’s water supply, as well as its considerable effect on the natural biodiversity of the area, has sparked the Chinese government to take control of the ecological systems in the area in an attempt to slow down the rate of melting. So far they have been successful in their efforts.

  • Palyul (Baiyu) Monastery

    Palyul (Baiyu) Monastery

    Location

    Initially built in 1665,  Palyul Monastery (དཔལ་ཡུལ་དགོན།), also known as Baiyu Monastery( 白玉寺） in Chinese  sits above the many homes along the hillside, at the center of a small village in the Ganzi Prefecture in the western part of Sichuan province. The monastery overlooks the town and valley below with an elevation around 3,150 meters. Sticking with the traditional style of Tibetan architecture and planning, the monastery and surrounding homes are built on the slope of the nearby mountain. At its peak, Baiyu Monastery housed hundreds of monks from all over, many of whom travelled great distances from affiliated branch monasteries.

    The Temples

    Baiyu Monastery is one of the six “Mother Monasteries” that follow the Nyingma school of thought, or the Ancient Translation Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery was founded by Kunzang Sherab, who was the first throne holder as well. In addition to establishing the monastery, he also built several temples that hold enormous significance to the Tibetan monks today.

    One of those important temples, The Chagrakhang, contains a gilded image made of copper depicting Jowo Shakyamuni in the form of Jowo Yeshin Norbu. The Temple also includes frescoes of the Namcho deities and in addition to other extravagant temples and halls, Baiyu Monastery contains an incredible library as well as the Dorsem Lhakhang.

    Life in Baiyu Monastery

    Just past the main halls, the monastery houses its own printing press. Although a small system, it is a very common sight on the second floor of the main hall to see carvers work diligently at crafting delicate scripts here in reverse for printing. Wandering the temples, halls and town nearby, you may also run into some of the 200 monks who are housed at the Baiyu Monastery. While the village has amenities for the monks and villagers to live here, there really isn’t much else to offer for visitors. Other than the Jixiang Hotel, the town itself has no restaurants or guesthouses for tourists to stay and eat at, although if you are lucky, you may find a welcoming villager or monk who will offer you room and board and the possibility of a home-cooked meal. The stupa is a popular gathering area where striking up a conversation with the villagers isn’t uncommon.

     

  • Chabcha (Gonghe)

    Chabcha (Gonghe)

    Among the grasslands of Qinghai province, sitting in its own valley, lies the ever growing town of Chabcha (ཆབ་ཆ།). Known in Mandarin as Gonghe (共和县), this prefectural capital of Hainan has everything from crowded markets to beautiful landscapes and over the years has become a center point for transportation and goods due to its geographical proximity to many other attractive locations.

    To the north of Chabcha, you can see the edge of Lake Qinghai, the largest fresh water lake on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau and a popular grazing location for local nomadic herders. Nomadic practices were historically predominant and spread throughout most of Asia. These grasslands were perfect for raising livestock as opposed to growing crops in an unsuitable terrain. It is thought that because of these grasslands, the nomadic populations of the region were able to occupy and colonize the area much earlier than other parts of Asia. Among the grasslands above, you can still find many nomads camping and raising livestock.

    Surrounding the town are several monasteries and temples, including the Panchen Lama Memorial Stupa. Here the monks have started selling butter candles to both pilgrims and tourists alike, as a source of income. These efforts were put in place to fund efforts to increase international tourism and have since been very helpful. Not far from here you can also find the Jiayi Temple as well.

    One of the most notable locations in the area is the branch campus of Qinghai Normal University. Founded in 1956, QHNU has become one of the key universities at the provincial level in China with major focuses on Science and Liberal Arts. Since then the university has established 2 more colleges, 14 departments, a research institute, and 3 branch locations, including the site in Chabcha (Gonghe). It is very common for students to begin their education at this site before moving on to finish their degrees at the university’s main campus.

  • Drepung Monastery

    Drepung Monastery

    Historically, the most significant monastery in Tibetan Buddhism, Drepung Monastery(འབྲས་སྤུངས་དགོན་པ།) used to be the seat of political and religious power in Tibet (before the Potala Palace was built). This significance came in part due to its location just outside of Lhasa, and in part due to it being the primary seat of the Gelugpa sect. The Gelugpa sect practices celibacy, and an aesthetic lifestyle approach to breaking “attachment” with the world. Every Dalai Lama has been of this sect, and it is also known as the “Yellow Hat Sect.”

    Drepung was founded in 1416 by a monk by the name of Jamyang Chöje, who was a disciple of Tsongkhapa (a reformer and the founder of the Gelugpa sect). Jamyang Chöje was a very charismatic monk, and within one year of completing the monastery, Drepung already had over 2000 monks living there. At its peak, Drepung Monastery used to be home to over 15,000 monks and was one of the most prestigious Buddhist institutions in the land. Now, there is a meager 300 monks living in Drepung and its sheer size makes the place feel almost like a ghost town.

    Today the monastery holds seven colleges – Gomang, Loseling, Deyang, Shagkor, Gyelwa, Tosamling, Dulwa, and Ngagpa – and each teach different aspects of Tibetan Buddhism.

    Visiting Drepung Monastery

    Approximately 8kms west of Central Lhasa, and placed high on a steep mountainside, travellers will find Drepung Monastery. The alleyways are walled and narrow, and feel labyrinthine. The main meeting hall is massive and it is said it can fit up to 7,000 monks at a time. It is the largest meeting hall I have ever seen in a monastery. Adjacent to it is the kitchen, which is also said to be the largest kitchen in Tibet. It is easy to believe as the pots they use for cooking look like small swimming pools … for elephants.

    drepung_monastery_kitchen

    Surrounding the monastery one will see a great number of residences with white roofs. Due to it’s location on Mount Gephel, and the number of white roofs that were required to house 15,000 monks, Drepung garnered the name of “rice heap” monastery.

    Everywhere you look in Drepung is an opportunity for a photo, so keep your finger on the trigger. Be aware though about taking photos inside the temple areas and meeting halls. Usually there is a 20 to 50 yuan charge for photography inside these rooms.

    drepung_monastery_kora