Lhasa (The Land of Gods) Lhasa
is the capital of Tibet. Bordered by the north bank of the Kyichu
River, Lhasa is at an altitude of 3,650m above sea level. Its 1,300-year
old history has put it at the center of politics, economy, culture and
religion in Tibet since ancient times. There are numerous scenic spots
and famous historical attractions among which Potala Palace,
Norbulingka, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Ramoche Temple, Jokhang
Temple and Barkhor Street Market.
Jokhang Temple Four
storied temple of Golden Splendor featuring architecture of the Tang
Dynasty from the 7th century AD. Murals and historical relics depict
famous figures and stories from the past. Located in the center of the
old Lhasa city, Jokhang Temple is the first monastery for most pilgrims
to visit as it is widely recognized as the spiritual center of Tibetan
Buddhism. The temple was built in 647. Every day you would see many
pilgrims who trek a long distance from other places of Tibet here
worshiping Buddhist by prostrating to body's length. Around the temple
is the famous Barkhor Street where you can get a close touch with local
Tibetan people.
Norbulinka Norbulinka,
the Jewel Park, is the summer palace of 13th & 14th Dalai Lamas
with its spacious walled garden, and the main Throne Hall, an audience
hall, the Dalai Lama's private apartment and his mother's apartment. The
construction of the garden was started by the 7th Dalai Lama in 1755.
Performances of Tibetan dances and opera are held in the garden during
the Shoton Festival which falls at the end of July. It is also a
favorite picnic spot today.
Barkhor Street The
Barkhor refers to Lhasa's pilgrimage circuit, a quadrangle of streets
that surround the Jokhang and some of the old buildings adjoining it. It
is an area unrivaled in Tibet for its fascinating combination of deep
religiosity and push-and-shove market economics. Barkhor is both the
spiritual heart of the holy city and the main commercial district for
Tibetans. In this area you can rub shoulders with monks, nomads, bent
old women and men all making the pilgrimage around this ancient square.
It’s a colorful and vibrant picture of Tibetan life.
Tsetang (Cradle of Tibetan Civilization) Tsetang,
the third largest town in central Tibet, 196 km from Lhasa, is known as
the cradle of Tibetan civilization. The ancient town offers a number of
side trips that illustrate Tibet’s early history. The Valley of the
Kings (ancient capital of the Yarlung kings who established the Tibetan
nation), the Yumbu Lagang Palace (built for the first Yarlung King), and
the Tandruk Monastery (one of the three royal Buddhist temples) are
some of the major sites.
Shigatse (the Second Largest City in Tibet) Located
in the alluvial plain at the confluence of the Brahmaputra and the
Nianchu River, Shigatse, is Tibet’s second biggest city & just 273km
west of Lhasa city. It is an ancient city with a history of 600
years.It is the center of transportation and a distribution center for
agriculture and husbandry products into the southeast. Monasteries such
as Tashilhunpo and Shalu are its major historic attractions. Yamdrok Yumtso (The Sacred Lake) One
of the three largest lakes in Tibet, lies about a hundred kilometers
southwest of Lhasa. The surface of the lake covers some six hundred
square kilometers. Interior hills form islands that provide homes to
flocks of wild ducks. Fish are plentiful and supply a diet for the
locals.
Ganden Monastery Founded
in 1409 by Tsong Khapa, the founder of the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat Sect),
this monastery is the earliest of the Three Great Monasteries of Tibet.
It lies 70 km east from Lhasa situated at 4300m on a hidden side of
mountaintop commanding a spectacular view of the Lhasa river valley. In
this monastery you find extremely delicate murals and sculptures. In
1961, it was listed as one of historical relics subject to state
protection by the State Council.
Sakya Sakya
lies 152km west of Shigatse and about 127 km west of Shigatse on the
road to Tingri. Sakyapa school of Tibetan Buddhism was founded in 1073,
by Konchok Gyelpo (1034-1102), originally a Nyingmapa monk of the
powerful noble family of the Tsang and became the first Sakya Trizin.
Its powerful abbots governed Tibet during the whole of the 13th century
after the downfall of the kings until they were eclipsed by the rise of
the new Gelukpa school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Sakya monastery is
probably contains the finest collection of Tibetan religious relics
remaining in Tibet, although the monks may restrict you to viewing only a
couple of halls. We can visit Sakya on our way to Kodari (Tibet -Nepal)
border or the Everest Base Camp.
Mt. Everest Mt.
Everest or Qomolangma (8848m/29,021ft), provides a fantastic view of
the world's highest peak than those on the Nepal side. Some 27,000 sq km
(10,422 sq mi) around Everest's Tibetan face have been designated as
the Qomolangma Nature Preserve, aiming to protect the environment and
the cultural traditions of the local people. For foreign travelers, the
Everest Base Camp has become the most popular trekking destination in
Tibet, but this does not mean that the region is exactly swarming with
hikers. The two access points are Shegar and Tingri, along the
Friendship Highway to Nepal, but be warned that neither trek is an easy.
It is three- or four-day stroll. You need to take your time getting
acclimatized and be prepared for a strenuous climb. If it all sounds too
much, 4WD vehicles can lurch all the way to Base Camp along the Shegar
track.
Manasarovar Lake Mansarovar
lake lies about 20 km southeast of Mt. Kailash. The name originates
from a story that Buddhism wins a victory against Bon in a religious
match beside the lake.The altitude of the lake is about 4,588 meters
(15,052.49 ft.), making it one of the highest fresh water lakes in the
world. The water is very limpid and bright. The Hindu legend has that it
is the amrita designed by the great god Brahma that can wash away all
one's sins as well as any anxiety or improper thoughts. Many pilgrims
bathe in the lake and take some water back as a gift to their relatives
and friends. The surrounding area is the point of origin for India's two
most famous rivers, the Indus and the Ganges. Walking around the lake
also has ceremonial value for the Tibetans. There are many temples along
the way, the two most notable being the Jiwu and the Chugu.Mt. Kailash
lies at the center of an area that is the key to the drainage system of
the Tibetan plateau, and from which issues four of the great rivers of
the Indian subcontinent: the Karnali, which feeds into the Ganges( south
), the Indus( north ), the Sutlej ( west ) and the Brahmaputra (
Yarlung Tsangpo, east ).
Mt Kailash Situated
in a far western corner of one of the most remote plateaus in Asia, Mt.
Kailash (with a peak at 6,638 meters / 21,778 feet) has long been a
sacred pilgrimage destination for four major religions: Hinduism,
Buddhism, Jainism and Bön. Every year, thousands of pilgrims make the
holy trek to and around the base of Mt. Kailash. The mountain is known
in Tibetan as Kang Rinpoche, or "Precious Jewel of Snow".Kailash has
long been an object of worship for four major religions. For the Hindus,
Kailash is regarded as the center of the universe and the domain of
Shiva, the Destroyer and Transformer. To the faithful Buddhist, Kailash
is the abode of Demchok, a wrathful manifestation of Sakyamuni thought
to be an equivalent of Hinduism's Shiva. The Jains of India also revere
the mountain as the site at which the first of their saints was
emancipated. And in the ancient Bon religion of Tibet, Kailash was the
sacred nine stories Swastika Mountain, upon which the Bonpo founder
Shenrab alighted from heaven.
Guge Kingdom Located
in the Ngari region, the ruins of Guge Kingdom are the Old Summer
Palace of Tibet. Established in about the 10th century, the Guge Kingdom
was founded by one branch of descendants of a nearby crumbled Kingdom.
It was ruled by about 16 kings with armies of tens of thousands of
soldiers during the over 700 years in which it flourished. Then in the
1660s, conflicts resulting from power disputes within the imperial
family emerged which engendered restlessness in society and induced
civil uprisings. To win power in the disordered state, the brother of
the king asked the ruler of the neighboring country Ladakh (the present
Kashmir) to send his army to help. This army overthrew and conquered the
kingdom. Only years later was power returned to Tibet. During its
lifetime the Guge Kingdom played an important part in the economic and
cultural development of Tibet. The kingdom advocated Buddhism, and many
versions of this religion were created here and their teachings were
spread from here into the heart of Tibet. The kingdom also served as a
major center for Tibets' foreign trade.
