Traveling to Tibet and experiencing the splendor of the Potala Palace up close is probably the wish of many people. In addition to the Potala Palace, there are many other places worth visiting in Lhasa, such as Dazhaosi Temple, which is not far from the Potala Palace. You shouldn’t miss Namtso, the second largest lake in Tibet.
Potala Palace
When it comes to Tibet, people always think of the magnificent palace on Marpori (Red Mountain) in northwest Lhasa – the Potala Palace.
At the beginning of the seventh century, Songtsen Gampo unified Tibet and founded the Tibetan Empire. The emperor built about 1,000 palace houses of various scales on Red Mountain and named the place “Potala,” which in Buddhist texts refers to the residence of Guanyin. More than 200 years later, the Tibetan Empire fell and the Potala Palace was almost completely destroyed, with only two Buddhist temples remaining.
It was not until the 17th century that Lhasa became the political center of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau again. The Potala Palace was reconstructed and continually expanded. During this period, the “White Palace” (PotrangKarpo) for all generations of the Dalai Lama, the “Red Palace” (PotrangMarpo), consisting of the palaces in which the tombs of the Dalai Lamas and other Buddhist temples, corridors and gardens are located , built.
Since the fifth Dalai Lama, all Dalai Lamas have resided in the Potala Palace. Important religious and political ceremonies took place in the palace, making the venue the center of Tibetan Caesaropapism. The large Potala Palace, built on the hill, displays the distinctive Tibetan Buddhist and Tibetan architectural style. The exterior of the palace was painted in red, white and yellow, each representing solemnity, tranquility and perfection.
Jokhang
The Jokhang is the “spiritual heart” of Lhasa and the highest shrine of Tibetan Buddhism. After Songtsen Gampo founded the Tibetan Kingdom, the dynasty flourished. Then there were state marriages between him and Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty and Princess Bhrikuti Devi of Licchavi. It is said that the Jokhang is dedicated to the various Buddha statues that the two princesses brought from their homelands.
Princess Wencheng brought a picture of the 12-year-old Buddha Shakyamuni and Princess Bhrikuti brought a wooden Buddha statue. The two statues are still worshiped in Jokhang. According to Buddhist legends, after his death, Songtsen Gampo’s soul turned into a ray of light and penetrated the wooden statue.
During the Cultural Revolution, the Jokhang could not escape destruction. Many Buddha statues were destroyed. The temple even became a pig slaughterhouse. It was highly disrespectful as Tibetan Buddhism strictly forbids monks and nuns from slaughtering to satisfy their hunger for meat.
After the Cultural Revolution, Tibetans were allowed to worship Jokhang. The temple has been reconstructed several times and is now a must-visit attraction in Tibet.
Sera Monastery
In the early 15th century, Shakya Yeshe, who was given the title of Jamchen Choje, meaning Dharma Lord of Great Compassion, by Emperor Xuande, founded the Sera Monastery. During the monastery’s heyday in the 17th century, 5,500 monks lived there, making it a major university monastery. Around 600 lamas now live in the monastery.
Witnessing the Tibetan Buddhist debate is definitely on the must-do list during your visit to Sera Monastery. The Tibetan Buddhist debate is not only held at Sera Monastery, but is held here every Monday to Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. In addition, it is the most famous because it is open to the public.
Hundreds of lamas gather in the open grounds of the monastery. Some express their views passionately; Some discuss in small groups in quiet voices. Llamas sometimes shrug their shoulders reluctantly; sometimes applaud; sometimes they frown and are lost in thought; sometimes gesticulate joyfully after acquiring new knowledge. Although most tourists do not understand the debate due to language barriers, the amusing scene still allows them to understand the lamas’ pursuit of knowledge in Buddhism.
Drak Yerpa
Drak Yerpa is one of the four auspicious places for hermits in Tibet. A Tibetan ballad says: “The auspicious place of Tibet is Lhasa, and the auspicious place of Lhasa is Yerpa; Reaching Lhasa without visiting Yerpa is like making a new cloth without a collar.” Drak Yerpa is located in the Yerpa Valley, about 30 km north of central Lhasa. Built on the slope, Drak Yerpa appears to be embedded in the cliff. According to legend, there are 108 meditation caves here. However, there are only about 80 facts.
According to legend, Songtsen Gampo, the Indian Buddhist master Padmasambhava and the Indian Buddhist master Atiśa (whose ideas formed the basis of the Kadam school) once isolated themselves from the outside world to perform sādhanā in the meditation caves of Drak Yerpa.
Namso
Namtso is the second largest lake in Tibet. It is located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and about a four-hour drive from Lhasa. There are many travel agencies in Lhasa that operate day, two-day, and two-day round-trip buses to Namtso.
The lake is crystal clear. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains, the view of Namtso is spectacular. Many visitors don’t mind spending some money to ride yaks along the lake. “Namtso” is Tibetan and means “heavenly lake”. The lake was named after folklore and Buddhist legends. There are five islands in the lake and they are believed to be the incarnations of the five Tathagatas. According to folklore, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas gather for ceremonies in Namtso every year of the Sheep in the Tibetan calendar. At this time, if Buddhists circle the lake while praying and reciting Buddhist texts, the effect would be much greater than praying on other days. In this way, kindness and merit are limitless.
