D15 Lhasa
Drepung Monastery is one of the six major temples of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism and the largest temple in the world. Before liberation, there were as many as 10,000 monks here. Located on Genpei Wu Mountain, 10 kilometers west of Lhasa City, at an altitude of more than 3,800 meters, it is built layer by layer along the mountain, covering an area of about 200,000 square meters. There are 7 Dhacangs (monasteries) in the temple. The temple was built in the 14th year of Yongle (1416) in the Ming Dynasty by Jiangyang Qujie Zhaxi Bandan, an apprentice of the founder of the Gelug Sect, Tsongkhapa. “, later referred to as “Drepung Temple”. In Tibetan, “Baideng” means auspicious and solemn, and “Drepung” means to pile up rice. After the completion of Drepung Monastery, it quickly developed into the most powerful monastery among the Gelugpa monasteries. In 1464, Drepung Monastery established a monastery to teach Buddhist classics. Most of the lamas in Drepung Monastery are very friendly. If you can invite them to accompany you on the monastery tour, you will definitely gain a lot. The temple covers an area of about 250,000 square meters, with a large scale. There were originally seven Dhatsangs (Confucian Schools) in the temple, which were later merged into the four major Dhatsangs of Loselin, Guomang, Deyang, and Aba. Most of the famous monks in Tibet once studied here, and there were nearly 10,000 monks at the peak People, is the largest monastery of Lamaism. Now the main buildings in the temple include Tsoqin Hall, Loselin Zhacang, Gedan Phodrang, Jiayang Lakang, etc., most of which were built successively in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The main building of the temple is the Sutra hall, which is majestic and magnificent, with 183 columns, and the carvings on the columns are very exquisite. Eight thousand people chanted sutras. There are also a large number of ancient Tibetan documents and scriptures preserved in the temple.
The architectural structure of Drepung Temple is tight, with temples connected and buildings stacked on top of each other. Each building unit is basically divided into three horizontal levels, namely the courtyard, the scripture hall and the Buddhist hall, forming a layer-by-layer structure from the gate to the Buddhist hall. The layout emphasizes and highlights the noble status of the Buddha Hall. Among them, the large-scale, majestic and majestic Tsochin Hall is patchwork; the eclectic Deyang Dratsang is thick and simple; the well-organized Amaba Dratsang is towering and solemn; Representative of large-scale buildings in Tibet. The exterior of the building is decorated with Buddhist themes such as the golden roof, Dharma wheel, treasure building, and eight treasures, which enhances the solemn atmosphere of Buddhism and makes the overall building look more magnificent. In 1464 AD, Drepung Monastery established a monastery to teach Buddhist classics. There are 4 monasteries (Zhacang) and 29 Kang villages in the temple. The Drepung Monastery is mainly composed of the Tsochin Hall, the four major Zhacangs (namely, Luo Sailin Zhacang, Deyang Zhacang, Aba Zhacang, Guomang Zhacang) and Gandan Phodrang.
There are many ceremonies in Drepung Monastery. Corresponding ceremonies will be held on every auspicious day such as large-scale Buddhist anniversaries and the dark days of each month in the Tibetan calendar (that is, the 15th and 30th). There are also some activities for monks and laymen to celebrate together, among which the biggest scene is “Drepung Sholton”. “Shoton” means “yogurt banquet” in Tibetan, and it was originally a purely religious activity. According to Buddhist laws and precepts, there are dozens of days in summer where people are forbidden to go out of the “Xiajuju” until the restriction is lifted. On the day when the ban was lifted, the common people gave alms with yogurt. Later, the content of “Shoton” became more abundant, and religious activities were combined with cultural and entertainment activities, and the scale continued to expand. On the day of the “Shoton Festival” on the 30th day of the sixth month in the Tibetan calendar, firstly, with Drepung Monastery as the center, a huge thangka painting of Buddha statues will be exhibited in the early morning, and then a Tibetan opera performance will be held.
This hillside can be used to bask in Buddha statues
Drepung Monastery is not a temple, but a group of temples built on the mountain. The white stone walls and red eaves are very eye-catching in the surrounding green mountains and forests.
In Tibetan areas, you will find that Tibetans attach great importance to beauty and will use first-line resources to beautify their homes.
The houses are all built against the mountain, and the upper and lower passages are also different.
I don’t know if I’m here to offer butter tea or to make butter tea, but I’m sitting here looking at my phone.
I was attracted by this music (should be chanting sutras). In fact, the previous ones were pretty good, but I was too patronized to appreciate them at the time.
Does this building have a Mediterranean flavor without looking at the windows?
Everyone who comes to worship must touch this door knocker.
What room is this?
Norbulingka, commonly known as the Summer Palace in Lhasa, means “treasure park” in Tibetan, and is the summer palace of the Dalai Lamas of all ages. Whenever summer comes, the Dalai Lama will be transferred from the Potala Palace to the Norbulingka office. Its buildings are mainly composed of Gesang Phodrang, Golden Phodrang and Darden Mingjiu Phodrang, with 374 rooms. It is the garden with the largest scale, the best scenery and the most historical sites among the man-made gardens in Tibet.
Golden Pozhang side door
second floor terrace
dalai’s throne
Hall of the West Dragon King
Jue Mu who came here to practice
The noodles are still smooth, why don’t Tibetan restaurants look brighter and cleaner?
(to be continued)
