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Lhasa Tour of
Jokhang Temple
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Included on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2000 as
part of the Potala Palace , the Jokhang Temple is located in central
Lhasa in Tibet. With an area of 25,100
square meters (about six acres), it is the ultimate pilgrimage
destination for Tibetan Pilgrims.
History:
The Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), was characterized by
economic prosperity and great progress in politics. During this
time, China was considered the cultural and political center of the
world. King Songtsem Gampo (617 – 650, the 33rd king of Tibet) was
the leader of the Tubo (or Tibetan) Kingdom. He actively promoted
Buddhism in Tibet and under his reign, Tibet achieved great progress
in social innovation and realized the integration of Tibet for the
first time. In order to promote friendly relationships with the
neighboring countries, he successively married Princess Bhrikuti of
Nepal and Princess Wen Cheng of the Tang Dynasty. When the two wives
arrived in Tibet, each brought a statue of Jowo Sakyamuni. During
this time, most people lived in tents and there were few palaces. To
house the Buddha brought by Princess Wen Cheng, King Songtsem Gampo
constructed the Little Jokhang. Jealous of her, Princess Burikuti
asked Gampo to build a Jokhang for her as well. Therefore, in 647
the giant complex was built.
The original complex included only eight shrines. After
multiple renovations, most notably during the Yuan Dynasty (1206 -
1368), the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) and the Qing Dynasty
(1644-1911), the complex grew to the scale that exists today.
Legend:
The Jokhang Temple was built on the former site of a
lake. According to the legend, the lake site was chosen after many
failed attempts to build a temple in the region. Prior to this,
every time a temple was built, it would collapse. Confused by this
phenomenon, Princess Bhrikuti turned to Wen Cheng for help. Being a
learned woman, Wen Cheng told the Princess that the geography of
Tibet was very much like a hag, with the lake at the heart. In order
to build the temple, Wen Cheng advised they must demolish the hag by
filling and leveling the lake using 1,000 sheep to carry soil from a
mountain far away. When the temple was done, it was called Ra-Sa-Vphrul-Snang
('ra' meaning sheep and 'sa' meaning earth in Tibetan) to
commemorate those sheep.
Whether the legend is true or not, this temple brought
Buddhism into Tibet and became an inseparable part of Tibetan
history and culture. The city of Ra-Sa grew around the temple and
over time, become known as Lhasa, a holy land.
The Jokhang Temple is a four-storey timber complex with
a golden top. It adopted the architectural styles of the Tang
Dynasty, as well as those of Tibet and Nepal.
Standing in the square of the Jokhang Temple, one can
view the entire complex. On the square there are two steles, one
recording an alliance between the king of Tibet and the emperor of
the Tang, the other portraying the teaching of the Tibetan people to
prevent and treat smallpox, a once incurable disease in Tibet.
In the eastern section of the yard there are rows of
votive lights. These flicking lights provide a path leading all the
way to the main hall. The main hall, over 1,300 years old, is the
oldest shrine of the complex. Above the major entrance, there is a
Dharma Wheel (chakra) flanked by two deer. This represents the unity
of all things and symbolizes Sakyamuni himself. On both sides of the
passageway, paintings showing the building of the temple, and
renderings of the temple from the seventh century are adorned on the
wall. The statue of Sakyamuni at age 12 sits in the middle of the
hall. It has been gilded many times and decorated elaborately with
jewels typical of Tibet. Statues of King Songtsem Gampo, Princess
Wen Cheng and Princess Bhrikuti are on the second floor. On the top
floor, there are four gilded bronze tile tops crafted in the
emblematical Tang style.
About the Statue of Sakyamuni:
The statue of Sakyamuni is a rare treasure. When
Sakyamuni was alive, he disagreed with the idea of 'personal
worship' and did not allow likenesses of himself to be created. Only
three statues, designed by he himself, were permitted to be sculpted
during his lifetime. The first is a likeness of him at age eight;
the second shows him at age twelve when he was still a prince of
India; and the third is of him as an adult. The statue kept in the
Jokhang Temple is the statue of Sakyamuni at age eight. It was
presented to the king of the Tang Dynasty and brought to Tibet by
Princess Wen Cheng.
Tour Lhasa
with Great Wall Adventure Club, the best
Lhasa
tour agent to help
you with your hotel booking and transfers.
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