Lhasa Things to Do

A Kora is a pilgrimage circuit and the Lingkor is the circuit which follows the boundary of what was once the wall of the city. It is interesting to do this walk which is about 8km long because it makes it easier to conceptualise how the city was when it was in its traditional form. There is even a very small part of what I can only gather is the original wall left.

Barkhor square is a great place to hang out and watch people. It is also a fantastic place to pick up Tibetan souvenirs and religious items such as beads, flags, prayer wheels. The people here are diverse with a mix of locals, nomads, tourists and pilgrims. There are a couple of restaurants which have rooftops were you can view from above......just beware of the harsh sun rays!

Jokhang Temple is the holiest temple in Tibet. A visit to the temple is one of those experiences which has the potential to change the way you look at life. We visited the temple on a day that was free entrance for pilgrims - Tibetans travel from all over the country to visit this sacred place. The place was packed full and at times we felt llike sardines in a can but it was worth it for the privilege of observing people in their pilgrimage and seeing the intensity of their beliefs. It gives a deeper understanding of the Tibetan people and the importance of their cultural survival. A walk around Barkhor Square and the Temple itself is a fascinating experience. Colourful, friendly, smiling pilgrims will happily pose for photos and walk with you like old friends.

A trip to Lhasa would not be complete without a visit to the Potala Palace. The Potala Palace is a symbol of so much for the Tibetan people and people around the world who have an interest in Tibetan culture. It dominates the Lhasa skyline and is such an awesome sight, it oozes emotion. As the home of the Dalai Lama it has been vacant since 1959 and therefore the inside is quite cold and dusty however using your imagination it is easy to feel how it would be if it was still the bustling place it once was. The Chinese have found that there is money to be made and they charge an outrageous 100yuan entrance fee but it is worth the expense.

While the trumpets were resounding in the valley, in the big courtyard everybody was waiting for the opening of the doors of the great hall and the start of the procession.

When the doors opened, first a monk with a yellow parasol came out, followed by dozens of monks, chanting and humming, while they were bearing the rolled-up giant thangka.

For the festival of the next day, the monks now allready came to hang the thangka. We saw the under-cloth on the giant thangka wall at the steep slope near the monastery, but we didn't have time left to see the hanging of the giant thangka itself.

For more pictures see my travelogue

The ceremony at the Drepung Monastery started with the trumpets. These trumpets were used to call on and warn the spirits of the ceremonials. The smaller trumpets have a strident sound. The huge copper and brass ones give a very deep shuddering roar. These huge trumpets must be audible for miles.

I had allready plans to visit Tibet for so many years, but I never expected or could imagine, that I would attend such an impressive and overwhelming ceremony.

For more pics and information about the ceremony: see my travelogue.

We were very surprised to see so many monks and Tibetan devotees at the mainsquare in front of the big temple hall. All these monks and people were waiting for the start of a procession within half an hour. We were very happy to be there and decided to wait too.

In the meantime we looked around and watched the preparations. We were shocked by the respectless behaviour of some Chinese soldiers. From this big courtyard we had also, a splendid view at the valley of Lhasa !

Inside the monastery we saw a small chorten with some Tibetans rounding it. It is a custom to do this in the clockwise direction.

Chortens, the Tibetan name for stupas or pagodas, contain often holy relics. Chortens became the pure symbols for the ultimate attainment, to be realized as no-attainment actually. The levels of a chorten from ground to peak symbolize the stages on the way, equated with the 5 elements.

The square base stands for earth, the round dome for water, the conical spire for fire, the umbrella for air and the peak for mind-essence.