Yambajan Contains the Greatest Number of Springs in China

More than 90 kilometers away from Lhasa, Yambajan is located to the northwest of downtown Lhasa at the foot of Nyaingentanglha Mountain. It covers an area of 15 kilometers. Snowy mountains, icebergs and the virgin forest surround it on both sides with attractive meadow in the middle of the basin.

Tibet is situated in a plateau and it contains the greatest number of hot springs in China. Yambajan is very famous for its springs which cover an area of 7000 square meters. Besides common springs, the springs here have the highest temperature, forming peculiar boiling springs and geysers.

The hot spring in Yambajan, which contains high content of sulfureted hydrogen, is therapeutic to many chronic diseases. The bathing place is an open-air swimming pool. The hot spring, the temperature of which is too high, needs to be cooled in two open-air cisterns before it is available for bathing. With the snow-capped mountains in the distance, it is really an enjoyment to have a hot-spring bath in the swimming pool. Especially in winter, it is very pleasant and romantic to enjoy the heavy snowfall by bathing in the hot spring.

The early morning in Yambajan is the most beautiful. In the cold morning, the hydrothermal fields are always suffused with white haze and the lake surface is always covered with great steam agglomerations, which is really fascinating and makes Yambajan a wonderland. If you are lucky enough, you may have a chance to witness the fantastic and splendid scene: the boiling water is erupting to the sky from the mouth of hot spring.

Since 1974, the Chinese government has considered the development of Yambajan an important technological goal and has allocated over two hundred million CNY towards this aim. Through much hard work, steadily the abundant subterranean heat resources of Tibet have begun to be developed and used.

Yambajan Hydrothermal Power Plant is the biggest Hydrothermal Power Plant. In recent years, the Yambajan Hydrothermal Power Plant has become a scenic spot because of its special landscape and scientific attractions. The inhabitants of Lhasa and its surrounds often go to bathe in the hot spring, and to visit the fountain and Hydrothermal Power Plant. It is a good place for them to spend their holidays or weekends. Nowadays, Yambajan is listed as a must-see place when traveling in Tibet and the Yambajan Hydrothermal Power Plant is considered an essential place to visit in order to understand Tibet.  

On the plateau, you need consume a large amount of oxygen. So when bathing in the hot spring, you had better not spend too much time bathing in the hot spring: you might make yourself too tired because of the high altitude.In addition, if you visit Yambajan on the way to Namtso, you'd better have the hot-spring bathing on the way back from Namtso, otherwise, you may miss the beautiful dusk scenery of Lake Namtso, and what's worse, your altitude sickness may be aggravated as a result of physical consumption in the hot-spring bathing.

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Pala Manor

Pala Manor is the main manor in Tibet noble para family. Located about four kilometers from Gyangtse, Pala Manor is currently the only one well preserved of the three lords aristocratic manor in Tibet.

A ten-minute drive from Gyangtse will take you to Pala Manor, a place that will give you something of an insight into the lifestyle of the wealthy landowning people who once lived in this area. The Pala Manor we see today still has fifty-seven houses on an estate with an area of approximately 5000 square metres (1.24 acres). The main building is a three-storey structure that includes a scripture hall, reception hall, and bedrooms. In addition to the lobby used for playing the Chinese game of Majiang there are many other reception halls. The maze of rooms is richly decorated with exquisitely carved beams and painted rafters.

One will be genuinely amazed by what can be seen on display here, for many of the original contents of the reception rooms and bedrooms remain on show. Among the items there are an ox horn that would be filled with Qingke (a highland barley wine), fine porcelain bowls for containing ghee, an ivory Majiang set as well as precious fur clothes, glass cups, tins of biscuits and whiskey imported from Britain. The sun-room walls are hung with tiger and deer skins and further evidence of the wealth of the former owner are such things as a gold saddle and two gramophones that were manufactured in Great Britain. The other recreation rooms include a modern gymnasium with facilities for table tennis, badminton and other physical training equipment including ice-skates.

There are also some whips and fetters displayed in the corridor of the main building, as instruments to torture slaves. Pala manor is a true portrayal of two kinds of different class nobles and serfs in old Tibet, is the epitome of the old Tibet society; and also a valuable place of researching politics, economic and cultural in Tibet.
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Jokhang Temple------the Most Sacred and Important Temple in Tibet

The Jokhang is located on Barkhor Square in Lhasa. For most Tibetans it is the most sacred and important temple in Tibet. It is in some regards pan-sectarian, but is controlled by the Gelug school. The temple's architectural style is a mixture of Indian vihara design, Chinese Tang Dynasty design, and Nepalese design.

It was founded during the reign of king Songsten Gampo. According to tradition, the temple was built for the two brides of the king, Princess Wencheng of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal. Both wives are said to have brought important Buddhist statues and images from China and Nepal to Tibet as part of their dowries, and they were housed here. Many Nepalese artists worked to construct this temple.

During the Bon period of Tibet the temple was (and sometimes still is), called the Zuglagkang (House of Religious Science or House of Wisdom). The term zuglag refers to the 'sciences' such as geomancy, astrology, and divination which formed part of the pre-Buddhist shamanistic religion now referred to as Bon. It is more commonly known today as the Jokhang, which means the 'House of the Buddha'.

Jokhang Temple is the spiritual center of Tibet and the holiest destination for all Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims. Princess Wencheng made use of Chinese astrology to decide that the temple should be built over the pool where the temple is now located. She believed that the pool was a witch's heart and that building the temple over it would purify the area of evil. This pool still exists under the temple.

The temple's central hall holds is most precious object, a sitting statue of Sakyamuni while he was still only a 12 year-old youth. This was carried to Tibet by Princess Wencheng from her home in Chang'an in 700 A.D. It is a gilded statue adorned with many jewels, in an elaborate setting. The idol is very important to Buddhists who have knelt in worship before it for centuries. Outside the temple an old and withered willow tree has survived centuries and is said to be planted by Princess Wencheng herself. Also there is a 3 meter (10 ft.) high pillar, a treaty stone recording the alliance between the King of Tibet and the Emperor of China in 823 A.D.

Every year, Buddhist's Great Prayer Festival is held in the Temple. The rites of Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas' initiation into lamahood are also held in the monastery.

Along with the Potala Palace, it is probably the most popular tourist attraction in Lhasa. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace," and a spiritual centre of Lhasa.

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Drepung Monastery-----the Largest of All Tibetan Monasteries

Drepung Monastery, located at the foot of Mount Gephel, is one of the "great three" Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet. Drepung is the largest of all Tibetan monasteries and is located on the Gambo Utse Mountain, five kilometers from the western suburb of Lhasa.

Drepung Monastery was known its high standards in academic study, and was called the "Nalanda of Tibet", a reference to the great Buddhist monastic university of India. In the late 1930's, Drepung was divided into four colleges, each housing monks from a different locale. Each college was presided over by an abbot who had been appointed by the late 13th Dalai Lama.

Since the 1950s, Drepung Monastery, along with its peers Ganden and Sera, have lost much of their independence and spiritual credibility in the eyes of Tibetans since they operate under the close watch of the Chinese security services. All three were reestablished in exile in the 1950s in Karnataka state in south India. Drepung and Ganden are in Mundgod and Sera is in Bylakuppe.

It is considered one of Tibet's 'Three Great Monasteries' (the other two are the Ganden Monastery and the Sera Monastery). Covering an area of 250,000 square meters (61 acres), it held as many as 7,700 monks and possessed 141 farms and 540 pastures in its heyday. It is the largest monastery of its kind in the world. Seen from afar, its grand, white construction gives the monastery the appearance of a heap of rice. As such, it was given the name 'Drepung Monastery' which in Tibetan means "Monastery of Collecting-Rice".

The education system in Zhacangs is set up such that, every year there are eight chances to study the sutra collectively, each time spanning from half a month to a month. Monks are tested before the Kampo in the method of reciting sutras and debating, and based on their performance; receive the degrees of different levels.

The monks residing at the monastery had eight opportunities to study the sutra (Buddhist scriptures) together as a group each year. Each mini-course lasted from two weeks to two months. After attending the school for a time the monks had to appear before the head-monk to take tests. Their ability to recite the Buddhist scriptures and debate were two critical parts of the exam. If they passed, they would then receive a degree based on their performance.

The Drepung Monastery houses many cultural relics, making it more beautiful and giving it more historical significance. Statues of famous celebrities in Buddhism are found on the first story of the Coqen Hall, rare sutras on the second story, and a famous conch shell on the third one. All of these add to the mystique of the monastery. In addition to these relics, there are exquisite statues of Tsong Khapa and famous Buddhist leaders and gods, as well as flowery wall-murals which portray the artistic style and wisdom of the Tibetan people.

Freddie Spencer Chapman reported, after his 1936-37 trip to Tibet, that Drepung was at that time the largest monastery in the world, and housed 7,700 monks, "but sometimes as many as 10,000 monks." Until today, Drepung Monastery is also a place attracts a lot of people.
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Thangka Painting------- A Tradition Art in China

Thangka, also known as tangka, thanka or tanka, is a painting on cotton, or silk appliqué, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala of some sort. The thangka is not a flat creation like an oil painting or acrylic painting but consists of a picture panel which is painted or embroidered over which a textile is mounted and then over which is laid a cover, usually silk. Generally, thangkas last a very long time and retain much of their lustre, but because of their delicate nature, they have to be kept in dry places where moisture won't affect the quality of the silk. It is sometimes called a scroll-painting.

These thangka served as important teaching tools depicting the life of the Buddha, various influential lamas and other deities and bodhisattvas. One subject is The Wheel of Life, which is a visual representation of the Abhidharma teachings (Art of Enlightenment).

Historians note that Chinese painting had a profound influence on Tibetan painting in general. Starting from the 14th and 15th century, Tibetan painting had incorporated many elements from the Chinese, and during the 18th century, Chinese painting had a deep and far-stretched impact on Tibetan visual art. According to Giuseppe Tucci, by the time of the Qing Dynasty, "a new Tibetan art was then developed, which in a certain sense was a provincial echo of the Chinese 18th century's smooth ornate preciosity."

Thangkas are painted on cotton or silk. The most common is loosely woven cotton produced in widths from 40 to 58 centimeters. While some variations do exist, thangkas wider than 45 centimeters frequently have seams in the support. The paint consists of pigments in a water soluble medium. Both mineral and organic pigments are used, tempered with herb and glue solution. In Western terminology, this is a distemper technique.

The composition of a thangka, as with the majority of Buddhist art, is highly geometric. Arms, legs, eyes, nostrils, ears, and various ritual implements are all laid out on a systematic grid of angles and intersecting lines. A skilled thangka artist will generally select from a variety of predesigned items to include in the composition, ranging from alms bowls and animals, to the shape, size, and angle of a figure's eyes, nose, and lips. The process seems very methodical, but often requires deep understanding of the symbolism involved to capture the spirit of it.

Thangka often overflow with symbolism and allusion. Because the art is explicitly religious, all symbols and allusions must be in accordance with strict guidelines laid out in Buddhist scripture. The artist must be properly trained and have sufficient religious understanding, knowledge, and background to create an accurate and appropriate thangka. Lipton and Ragnubs clarify this in Treasures of Tibetan Art:

Thangka, when created properly, perform several different functions. Images of deities can be used as teaching tools when depicting the life (or lives) of the Buddha, describing historical events concerning important Lamas, or retelling myths associated with other deities. Devotional images act as the centerpiece during a ritual or ceremony and are often used as mediums through which one can offer prayers or make requests. Overall, and perhaps most importantly, religious art is used as a meditation tool to help bring one further down the path to enlightenment. The Buddhist Vajrayana practitioner uses a thanga image of their yidam, or meditation deity, as a guide, by visualizing “themselves as being that deity, thereby internalizing the Buddha qualities (Lipton, Ragnubs).”

Originally, thangka paintings became popular among traveling monks because the scroll paintings were easily rolled and transported from monastery to monastery. They also served as important teaching tools depicting the life of Buddha, various influential lamas, and other deities and bodhisattvas. To Buddhists, these Tibetan religious paintings offer a beautiful manifestation of the divine, being both visually and mentally stimulating.

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A Plaace pilgrimages Must Go------Mount Kailash

Mount Kailash (also Mount Kailas), is a peak in the Kailas Range (Gangdisê Mountains), which are part of the Transhimalaya in Tibet. It lies near the source of some of the longest rivers in Asia: the Indus River, the Sutlej River (a major tributary of the Indus River), the Brahmaputra River, and the Karnali River (a tributary of the River Ganga). It is considered a sacred place in four religions: Bön, Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. The mountain lies near Lake Manasarovar and Lake Rakshastal in Tibet.

The lofty Mount Kailash, with an olive-like cloudy summit rushing into the very heavens, features a famous giant symbol in the southern side - a Buddhist grid shaped by vertical huge ice tank and horizontal rock formation, which indicates the spiritual power and perpetuation in Buddhism. Mount Kailash is topped with snow all the year round with a dynamic scene in the sunshine. It is considered to be a lucky thing to catch a glimpse of the peak which is frequently covered by cloud.

Each year, thousands of Tibetans make a pilgrimage to Kailash, which is a tradition with a long history. Pilgrims of several religions believe that circumambulating Mount Kailash on foot is a holy ritual that will bring good fortune. The pilgrimage is made in a clockwise direction by Hindus and Buddhists. Followers of the Jain and Bonpo religions circumambulate the mountain in a counterclockwise direction. The path around Mount Kailash is 52km long. You can follow the pilgrims to experience this holy ritual and learn about how significant Mount Kailash is to Tibetan.

Climbing the Mount Kailas is forbidden now, but the only person to have ever been atop the sacred mountain is Milarepa, a 11th century Tibetan Buddhist yogi.

In 2001 the Chinese gave permission for a Spanish team to climb the peak, but in the face of international disapproval the Chinese decided to ban all attempts to climb the mountain. Messner, referring to the Spanish plans, said, "If we conquer this mountain, then we conquer something in people's souls ... I would suggest they go and climb something a little harder. Kailash is not so high and not so hard."
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A Holy Lake------Yamdrok Lake

Yamdrok Lake, also called Yamdrok Yumtso, is a freshwater lake in Tibet. it is one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet. It is over 72 km long. The lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and is fed by numerous small streams. The lake has an outlet stream at its far western end.

Yamdrok Lake is a lake with two long arms of water, making it look like a scorpion from the sky. This shape means you can never see its shape from around it. From Gyantse, you can see one arm, and follow it until it disappears around a bend in the shore which makes it difficult to estimate the size of the lake.

Around 90 km to the west of the lake lays the Tibetan town of Gyantse and Lhasa is a hundred km to the northeast. According to local mythology, Yamdok Yumtso Lake is the transformation of a goddess.

Yamdrok Lake has a power station that was completed and dedicated in 1996 near the small village of Baidi at the lake’s western end. This power station is the largest in Tibet.

The Yamdrok Lake is one of the three largest sacred lakes of Tibet. As with all places sacred and holy in Tibet, you can walk around the entire lake, taking around seven days. This is probably a good indication as any of the size of Yamdrok Lake. The lake is considered sacred and the water has special powers: according to locals, it can make the old young again. It can improve intelligence in children and etc.

 

It takes around thirty minutes to get down around the pass to Yamdrok Yumtso, but the views are truly magnificent. At times there is a lot of fog, but it changes by the minute, so wait around and you will see the extraordinary color and shape of this unique lake. Be aware that since the road was paved it is now fairly crowded with tourists during the summer months. Take a few minutes in addition to photo taking to sit and gaze upon this creation. It is truly breathtaking.

The lake, its islands, and the surrounding area are closely associated with Padmasambhava, the Second Buddha, who brought Buddhism to Tibet in 8th century AD. The lake is home to the famous Samding Monastery which is on a peninsula jutting into the lake. This monastery is the only Tibetan monastery to be headed by a female re-incarnation. Samding Monastery is where Dorje Pakmo, the only female Lama in Tibet, stayed and presided, and stands to the south of Lake Yamdrok Yumtso.

Today, both pilgrims and tourists can be seen walking along the lake's perimeter. One of the lake's islands contains an old fort or castle called Pede Dzong.
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