Potala Palace
The Potala Palace was built 1,300 years ago in Tang Dynasty (618-907AD) when the Tibetan King Songtsam Gambo married the Tang Princess Wencheng. Potala is the name of the place, which means residence of the Goddess of Mercy in Tibetan language. People feel amazing about the colorful sculptures and paintings there. In December 1994, the Potala Palace of Lhasa was put on the UNESCO's list of World Cultural Heritage. It is a symbol of the wisdom and power of the Tibetan people.
Sera Temple
The last of the three principal Yellow Sect monasteries to be built in Lhasa. Sera means” Hailstone” in Tibet, and legend tells that it hailed during the foundation of this famous monastery. Sera comprise a great sutra chanting hall, a college and 32 sections. It once housed nearly 10,000 monks, and is proud of its glorious history during the Ming Dynasty
Drepung Temple
Situated to the west of Lhasa city, was the largest and richest of the three major Yellow Sect monasteries in Lhasa, and it also became the most powerful. As the most powerful of the “Gelukpa” m.
The Jokhang Temple
situated in the center of old Lhasa, was original built in 647 AD. It is said the site was chosen personally by the wife of King Songtsan Gampo, the Tang Princess Wen Cheng. It was built by craftsmen from Tibet, China and Nepal and thus features different architectural styles. The Jokhang is the spiritual center of Tibet and the holiest destination for all Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims
Norbulinka Palace
Norbulinka the summer palace of the Dalai Lama, The Norbilinka has three palaces, situated in a beautiful garden. You can visit the rooms of the Dalai Lama
Namtso Lake
Namtso Lake is one of the three "Holy Lakes" in Tibet, and it is also the highest salt water lake in the world.
Yamdrok Lake
The charming lake produces abundant fish resources. In the lake and the surrounding expansive pastures, animals and birds grow with vitality. There are dozens of lake islets where birds perch. Shepherds ferry their sheep flocks to the islets during herding season since no wild animals are found there. The sheep return in winter.
Trandruk Monastery
Trandruk Monastery is famous throughout Tibet since it was the first Buddhist chapel ever built in Tibet. Trandruk is one of the earliest Buddhist monasteries in Tibet, having been founded at the same time as the Jokhang and Ramoche in Lhasa. It lies five kilometers (three miles) south of Tsedang on the road leading to Yumbu Lakhang. Built under the reign of Emperor Songtsen Gampo (AD 617-650), Trandruk later experienced large-scale reconstruction after it converted to Gelugpa. According to legend, the monastery could only be built after Songtsen Gampo turned into a roc and conquered an evil dragon. The name "trandruk" means roc conquering a dragon.
Yumbulakhang Widely regarded as the work of the first king of Tibet, Nyatri Tsenpo, when he arrived in Yarlung, the original Yumbulakhang would have been over two thousand years old and the oldest building in Tibet when it was almost totally destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. The present building is a 1982 reconstruction in two parts with a small two-storey chapel and an eleven-metre-high tower. The lower floor of the chapel is dedicated to the early Tibetan kings; The delightful and unusual upper-storey chapel, with Chenresi as the central image, is built on a balcony.
Sakya Monastery
This monastery is a "must see" for visitors to Tibet. The monastery lies 130 kilometers (80 miles) southwest of Shigatse. Sakya, meaning "Grey Soil" in Tibetan since the soil surrounding it is gray; it is the central monastery of Sakyapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Its walls were painted in red, white and grey strips, which represent Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani respectively. Since the monastery has a colossal collection of highly valuable art pieces, it is deemed as the "Second Dunhuang".
Tashilunbo Monastery
Tashilunbo Monastery -the principal seat of Panchen Lama. |
