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Lhasa Photos.
I found the Jokhang Temple the most fascinating part of my time in Lhasa and Tibet. There are also photos of the Potala Palace - intriguing, but more a museum now - and then a couple of shots of Drepung Monastery, the Nunnery and one of the Norbu Lingka, the Dalai Lama's summer palace. Look through my photo gallery for a little more of the sights of Lhasa.
Click on each photo to move on to the following one (I've linked each photo to the next). You can use the map to select the lead photo for each location, then click on each photo to move onto the next, as required.
· Click Here to start looking at the Photos.
· Click Here to look at the main 'Tibet' travel page.
· Click Here for more photos from Lhasa, Shigatse and Tibet.
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Jokhang Temple, Lhasa. You've seen this picture already, but to recap, the tassels and braiding on the upper left hand part of the building are a left over of when the Mongols invaded. Also, the smoke is from giant incense burners, visible at either side of the picture. The devoutness of the many Tibetans prostrating themselves before it was the most amazing thing, especially given the current situation there. Even at midnight! (So there, you don't have to go back to the main Tibet page to read this all again.) |
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Tourists, Jokhang. Tourism is an increasing source of income in Tibet and when I was there, there were English, many Germans, Italians, French, Japanese and the Chinese themselves. |
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Faithful in Prayer. You could go any time of the day or night and there would always be the faithful prostrating themselves in prayer before the Jokhang. Others would circumambulate it in a clockwise direction, sometimes for days or longer. |
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Monks in Prayer. This was taken very seriously, with prayer sessions going on for some considerable time. They would start with chanting, which they would continue for a considerable period. This would then build up into a crescendo, with a large horn being blown and the drum (visible at the back) being banged vigorously. They would then stop and the whole process would begin again. |
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View from the Roof of the Jokhang. The square in front of the Jokhang is also a fairly busy market place. Also visible is the Tibetan Medical school (slightly right of centre) and in the distance on the right, the Potala Palace. That's next. |
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Potala Palace. Got these three to pose for me, even monks have time off. Apparently, people can chose to enter a monastery part time, as our guide did during the winter. |
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Potala Palace. The steps to the front were the original entry point for people seeking an audience. We came out of the palace this way, tourists now being bused up the side of the hill to the left of the palace. The Potala Palace is actually two palaces, the red palace in the centre and the later white palace built around it. The Potala was built during the reign of the 5th Dalai Lama, but he died before it was completed. This was covered up until the palace was finished. Better tell you now, there's no inside shots. You had to pay to take photos inside and it was so dark, the photos wouldn't have taken anyway. |
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| Audience with the Dalai
Lama
If you wanted an audience with the Dalai Lama or another senior official, it happened in this courtyard within the Potala Palace, with the senior dignitaries grouped around the steps. |
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Top of the World Well, the palace actually. Click for the views from the top of the palace. Not scared of heights, are you? |
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Views of Lhasa Got to be honest, it's a modern city these days. The Chinese have built lots of new buildings, replacing a fair bit of the Tibetan town that was there before. One of the good things they have done was to build the square in front of the Potala - walk to the far end of the square for a spectacular view. But that said, prior to the Chinese developments, the Potala Palace used to stand away from the main part of Lhasa, which was separate a short distance to the east. |
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Drepung Monastery Big is not the word for this place, well it is the biggest monastery in Tibet. There's quite a few monks around here, but not like the old days, when there used to be thousands. Drepung is also where the Dalai Lama's of Tibet were educated. The Chinese restrict numbers these days. Just as well, because so many Tibetan men became monks, that the population was in decline. Hmm, that's two good things I've said about the Chinese. |
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Drepung and Sera Monasteries Well, I had to show a Yak somewhere. This one was outside Drepung Monastery and the bloke who owned it made you pay up every time you took a photo. The other photo was taken at Sera Monastery and is of the print shop there, where printing is done on scrolls of paper in the traditional style. |
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Prayer Wheels and Mandalas Prayer Wheels are to be found outside every temple or religious building in Tibet. Tibetans will pass along the row of prayer wheels rotating them, in order to gain religious merit. Then there are Mandalas, which are diagrams (either paintings or made from sand) representing the cosmos according to Buddhism. These are not to be confused with Thangkas, which are the scroll banners hanging in temples, houses and shrines, covering any number of subjects from religion to medicine. Yes, I kept getting them confused. |
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Ani Sangkhung Nunnery Just a couple of photos here from inside the nunnery in Lhasa. The nun on the right in the top picture decided to stick her tongue out at me. But before you jump to conclusions, sticking out tongues did used to be a form of greeting, so the Tibetans would have us believe. Meanwhile, her friend (bottom photo) was hard at work while she was having all the fun. That's the point though, the Tibetans like a good laugh and they are a happy people. Novice monks used to start aged seven, nuns aged ten, but since the Chinese arrived, minors are no longer allowed to become monks and nuns. |
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Norbu Lingka This was the Dalai Lama's summer palace. When the Dalai Lama moved to and from the Norbu Lingka, he was accompanied by a great procession. Only during the winter did the Dalai Lama live in the Potala Palace. In the Dalai Lama's audience hall, next to the throne is a photo montage like picture of the Dalai Lama's family and of various Diplomats who were present in Lhasa at times. The twentieth century dress of the people shown in the picture certainly make this particular picture a bit different from the other wall murals. The British ambassador in ceremonial uniform certainly stands out. Couldn't get a photo of this as we weren't allowed to take photos inside. |
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Yam Drok Tso Lake Yes, I know it's on the main Tibet page, but it was a nice view after coming through the fog. One thing I didn't mention on the main Tibet page, is that half way along the lake shore, is a nice example of a Tibetan village (prayer flags from houses etc.), well worth a few minutes. |
Well, there you go, a few shots in and around Lhasa. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed visiting Lhasa and Tibet.
· Click Here to look again at the Photos.
· Click Here to look at the main 'Tibet' travel page.
· Click Here for more photos from Lhasa, Shigatse and Tibet.
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