Sights in Lhasa
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Potala Palace
The Potala is one of the great wonders of world architecture. As has been the case with centuries of pilgrims before you, the first sight of the fortress-like structure will be a magical moment that you will remember for a long time. It's hard to peel your eyes away from the place.
Pilgrims murmuring prayers shuffle through the rooms to make offerings of khatak (ceremonial scarves) and liquid yak butter.The first recorded use of the site dates from the 7th century AD, when King Songtsen Gampo built a palace here. Construction of the present structure began during the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama in 1645 and took divisions of labourers and artisans more than 50 years to …
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Barkhor
One cannot help but be swept up in the wondrous swell of humanity that is the Barkhor, not a sight per se but a kora (pilgrim circuit) that proceeds clockwise around the periphery of the Jokhang Temple. You'll swear it possesses some mystical spiritual gravity, as every time you approach within 50m, you somehow get sucked right in and gladly wind up making the whole circuit again!
Spiritual wares and tourist baubles are hawked along every centimetre: prayer flags, block prints of scriptures, turquoise jewellery, Tibetan boots, Nepalese biscuits, yak butter, juniper incense and a lot of Yak, Yak, Yak, Yak - Tibet! T-shirts. Start your haggling engines.The Tibetan traveller…
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Jokhang Temple
The 1300-year-old Jokhang Temple is the spiritual centre of Tibet. The waves of awestruck pilgrims prostrating themselves outside and the distinctive golden dome are mesmerising - planes could use the dome for navigation.Commemorating the marriage of the Tang princess Wencheng to King Songtsen Gampo, the temple was built atop a pool that the princess thought was a witch's heart.
The temple houses a pure gold statue of the Buddha Sakyamuni brought to Tibet by the princess, along with extraordinary Tibetan religious art treasures (though some are duplicates). The Jokhang Temple is best visited early in the morning; during the afternoon you'll have to enter via the side door…
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Ani Sangkhung Nunnery
Head past Muslim tea stalls and butcher shops, along part of the Lingkhor pilgrim circuit to the yellow walls of the Ani Sangkhung Nunnery. This small, friendly and active nunnery is the only one within the precincts of the old Tibetan quarter. The site of the nunnery probably dates back to the 7th century, but it housed a monastery until at least the 15th century. The principal image, upstairs on the 2nd floor, is a thousand-armed Chenresig. Its teahouse is probably the nicest for a quiet cup of tea.
A small alley to the side of the main chapel leads down to the former meditation chamber of Songtsen Gampo, the 7th-century king of Tibet. The busy nuns run a great teahouse…
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Chapel of the Dalai Lamas' Tombs
In the west wing of the assembly hall is one of the highlights of the Potala, the awe-inspiring Chapel of the Dalai Lamas' Tombs . The hall is dominated by the huge 12.6m-high chörten of the great fifth Dalai Lama, gilded with some 3700kg of gold. Flanking it are two smaller chörtens containing the 10th and 12th Dalai Lamas, who both died as children. Richly embossed, the chörtens represent the concentrated wealth of an entire nation.
One of the precious stones is a pearl said to have been discovered in an elephant's brains and thus, in a wonderful piece of understatement, 'considered a rarity'. Eight other chörtens represent the eight major events in the life of the B…
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King Songtsen Gampo's meditation chamber
Passing the Chapel of Sakyamuni (Zegya Lhakhang), continue to the NW corner where you'll find a small corridor that leads to King Songtsen Gampo's meditation chamber , which, along with the Chapel of Arya Lokeshvara on the 3rd floor, is one of the oldest rooms in the Potala. The most important statue is of Songtsen Gampo himself, to the left of the pillar. To his left is his minister Tonmi Sambhota (said to have invented the Tibetan script) and to the right are his Chinese and Nepali wives.
The king's Tibetan wife (the only one to bear a son) is in a cabinet by the door. The fifth Dalai Lama lurks behind (and also on) the central pillar. Queues for this chapel can be long…
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Ramoche
The Ramoche is the sister temple to the Jokhang, constructed around the same time as the Jokhang but in Chinese style. It was built to house the Jowo Sakyamuni image that is now in the Jokhang. The principal image in Ramoche is Mikyöba (Akshobhya), brought to Tibet in the 7th century as part of the dowry of King Songtsen Gampo's Nepali wife, Princess Bhrikuti. The image represents Sakyamuni at the age of eight years.
By the mid-15th century the temple had become Lhasa's Upper Tantric College. It is said to have been badly damaged by Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution but the complex has since been restored with Swiss assistance.
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Tengye Ling
The obscure and rarely-visited Tengye Ling chapel is a Nyingmapa-sect temple dedicated to the red-faced deity Tseumar, as well as Pehar (a protector linked to Samye) and Tamdrin (Hayagriva). The crates of baijiu (rice wine) stacked in the corner are there to refill the cup in Tseumar's hand; the chapel smells like a distillery. Look for the wonderful old photo of the Dalai Lama's pet elephant, stabled in the Lukhang behind the Potala.
The chapel is hidden in the backstreets west of the Snowlands Hotel and is hard to find; enter through the gateway marked by juniper and baijiu-sellers, just south of the Backstreet Bar.
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Shöl
Nestled at the southern foot of Marpo Ri, the former village of Shöl, (which means 'at the base of') was once Lhasa's red-light district, as well as the location of a prison, a printing press and some ancillary government buildings. Some of these buildings have been rebuilt, including an inn supposedly favoured by the sixth Dalai Lama and the residence of the monk police chief.
Expect some kind of admission fee before long. There are plans for an exhibition hall, perhaps to include the famous three-dimensional mandala made of over 200,000 pearls that was formerly displayed inside the Potala.
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Meru Nyingba Monastery
Veer off the Barkhor Ciruit down the alley following the prayer wheels, then pass through a doorway into the old Meru Nyingba Monastery. This small but active monastery is a real delight and is invariably crowded with Tibetans thumbing prayer beads or lazily swinging prayer wheels and chanting under their breath. The chapel itself is administered by Nechung Monastery, which accounts for the images of the Nechung oracle inside.
The building, like the adjoining Jokhang, dates back to the 7th century, though most of what you see today is recently constructed.
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Kunde Ling
Several hundred metres west of Chagpo Ri, Parma Ri is a much smaller hill with a couple of interesting sights. At the foot of the hill, close to Beijing Zhonglu, is one of Lhasa's four former royal temples, Kunde Ling . The ling (royal) temples were appointed by the fifth Dalai Lama, and it was from one of them that regents of Tibet were generally appointed. There are only a couple of restored chapels open, but it's a friendly place and worth a visit.
Look for the upstairs mural of the original Kunde Ling, 80% of which has been destroyed.
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Throne Room of the White Palace
As you arrive on the roof of the White Palace, head right for the private quarters of the 13th and 14th Dalai Lamas. The first room you come to is the Throne Room of the White Palace , where the Dalai Lamas would receive official guests. The large picture on the left of the throne is of the 13th Dalai Lama; the matching photo of the present Dalai Lama has been removed.
There are some fine murals here, including a depiction of Bodhgaya (where the Buddha achieved enlightenment) and the mythical paradise of Shambhala (by the entry).
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Tsome Ling
Tsome Ling is the most interesting of the three. One of the four ling (royal) temples of Lhasa (along with Kunde Ling and Tengye Ling), this small site consists of two temples. To the east of the residential courtyard is the Karpo Potrang (White Palace), built in 1777, and to the west is the Marpo Potrang (Red Palace), built at the beginning of the 19th century. Both buildings have fine murals and are well frequented by pilgrims.
Of equal interest is the small embroidery and Tibetan mattress workshop on site.
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Barkhor Square
The square has become a focus for political protest and has been the scene of pitched battles between Chinese and Tibetans on several occasions, most noticeably in 1998 when several Tibetans were killed and a Dutch tourist was shot in the shoulder. Look for the video cameras recording everything from the rooftops above the square.
The recent addition of several tacky fast food joints at the west end of the square is a shame. At least the Chinese resisted the temptation to plunk a Mao statue in the middle of it all.
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Chapel of Arya Lokeshvara
Allegedly this is one of the few corners of the Potala that dates from the time of Songtsen Gampo's 7th-century palace. It is the most sacred of the Potala's chapels, and the image of Arya Lokeshvara inside is the most revered image housed in the Potala. The statue is accompanied on the left by the seventh Dalai Lama and Tsongkhapa, and on the right by the fifth, eighth and ninth Dalai Lamas and the protector Chana Dorje (Vajrapani). Relics include stone footprints of Guru Rinpoche and Tsongkhapa.
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Gesar Ling
On the north side of Parma Ri is the Gesar Ling, a Chinese construction that dates back to 1793 and was recently renovated. It is the only Chinese-style temple in Lhasa. The main yellow-walled temple has a statue of the mythical Tibetan warrior Gesar (associated with Guandi, the Chinese God of War) along with Guru Rinpoche on the left and Ekajati, the Dzogchen deity, on the right. A separate yellow chapel has a statue of an orange Jampelyang with Sakyamuni, Chana Dorje (Vajrapani) and Chenresig.
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Chapel of the Buddha of Infinite Light
This is the second of the chapels consecrated to Öpagme (Amitabha), the Buddha of Infinite Light. The outer entrance, with its wonderful carved doors, is protected by two fierce deities, red Tamdrin (Hayagriva; right) and blue Chana Dorje (Vajrapani; left). There are also statues of the eight bodhisattvas.
Pilgrims generally pray here for the elimination of impediments to viewing the most sacred image of the Jokhang, that of Jowo Sakyamuni, which awaits in the next chapel.
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Potala Kora
The pilgrim path that encircles the foot of the Potala makes for a nice walk before or after a visit to the main event. Recent renovations by the city authorities have largely secularised the walk, doing away with many of the stalls frequented by pilgrims, but there are still plenty of people here, especially in the mornings. From the western chörten (formerly the western gate to the city), follow the prayer wheels to the northwest corner, marked by three large chörtens.
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Chapel of Jampa
The first room in the main Red Palace building is the Chapel of Jampa, which contains an exquisite image of Jampa commissioned by the eighth Dalai Lama; it stands opposite the Dalai Lama's throne. To the right of the throne is a wooden Kalachakra mandala. The walls are stacked with the collected works of the fifth Dalai Lama. The chapel was unfortunately damaged in a fire in 1984 (caused by an electrical fault) and many valuable thangkas (religious paintings) were lost.
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Chapel of Jowo Sakyamuni
The most important shrine in Tibet, this chapel houses the image of Sakyamuni Buddha at the age of 12 years, brought to Tibet by Princess Wencheng. You enter via an anteroom containing the Four Guardian Kings, smiling on the left and frowning to the right. Inside are statues of the protectors Miyowa (Achala) and Chana Dorje (Vajrapani, blue). Several large bells hang from the anteroom's Newari-style roof. The carved doorway has been rubbed smooth by generations of pilgrims.
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Mani Lhakhang
As you follow the flow of pilgrims past sellers of religious photos, felt cowboy hats and electric blenders (for yak-butter tea!) along the Barkhor Circuit, you'll soon see a small building on the right, set off from the main path. This is the Mani Lhakhang, a small chapel that houses a huge prayer wheel set almost continuously in motion. To the right of the building is the grandiose entrance of the former city jail and dungeons, known as the Nangtse Shar.
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Drubthub Nunnery
Southwest of the Potala an unmarked road leads around the eastern side of Chagpo Ri, the hill that faces Marpo Ri, site of the Potala. Take this road past stone-carvers and rock paintings to Drubthub Nunnery . The nunnery is dedicated to Tangtong Gyelpo, the 15th-century bridge-maker, medic and inventor of Tibetan opera, who established the original nunnery on the top of Chagpo Ri. Gyelpo's white-haired statue graces the nunnery's main hall.
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Jampa Lhakhang
If you head south from the Mani Lhakhang, after about 10m you will see the entrance to the Jampa Lhakhang on the right. The ground floor of this small temple has a two-storey statue of Miwang Jampa, the Future Buddha, flanked by rows of various protector gods and the meditation cave of the chapel's founder. Pilgrims ascend to the upper floor to be blessed with a sprinkling of holy water and the touch of a holy dorje (thunderbolt).
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Four Guardian Kings
Just inside the entrance to the Jokhang are statues of the Four Guardian Kings, two on either side. Beyond this is the main assembly hall or dukhang, a paved courtyard that is open to the elements. During festivals the hall is often the focus of ceremonies. The throne on the left wall was formerly used by the Dalai Lamas. You'll see a line of pilgrims filing past the main Jokhang entrance as they walk the pilgrim circuit around the temple.
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Chapel of Chenresig
This chapel contains the Jokhang's most important image after the Jowo Sakyamuni. Legend has it that the statue of Chenresig here sprang spontaneously into being and combines aspects of King Songtsen Gampo, his wives and two wrathful protective deities. The doors of the chapel are among the few remnants still visible of the Jokhang's 7th-century origins and were fashioned by Nepali artisans.
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