One of the small towns we passed through on the G318 road to Shigatse.
At one point they were building another wide-arch railway bridge with approach viaducts. One tower crane seemed to be helping with finishing the main arch whilst a special bridge building machine was preparing to lift the next section of pre-cast concrete bridge deck between two approach piers. Once the concrete beam had been fitted, there was still a lot of work to be done, fitting brackets to support decking, adding handrails and running cables.
On our right, beyond the river we still followed, a fertile valley extended away to the mountains. A monastery was perched up on the mountain and long lengths of prayer flags stretched across the mountain face around the monastery. A cloud of smoke drifted away from the monastery, either from the kitchens or from the numerous large incense burners (rather like chiminea) that were sure to be in use.
The new railway was still paralleling the G318 road we were on. We frequently passed small work gangs, each carrying out different tasks.
I spotted a modern tower on the right which looked rather like an airport control tower. I thought 'Surely not out here?' but it was, indeed, an airport, presumably to serve Shigatse, Tibet's 'Second City'.
We passed through a number of villages where the architectural style was usually Tibetan, although the constructional detail varied according to date of construction. We stopped at one village for a moment, to adjust our arrival time at the next check point and I took the opportunity to photograph one of the ingenious Solar Cookers. Although mornings often started dull, they generally were hot and sunny in the afternoons. A lot of the street lights were powered by photovoltaic arrays and small arrays powered all sorts of other equipment (I've mentioned the large arrays powering communications repeater stations in an earlier post).
The last check point on this journey was near an impressive modern Chinese-style arch we passed under. I presumed it marked our entry to Shigatse. Suddenly, the road was blocked by warning signs and there was another of the temporary diversions onto loose roadstone. We lurched to the right and crossed a river on a 'Bailey Bridge' construction, with the original bridge, on our left, looking rather sorry for itself. Lots of strings of prayer flags had been tied between the two bridges.
Shigatse appeared to be a modern town with broad streets. There were frequent cross roads controlled by traffic lights. At one, where the traffic lights were working, a portable police kiosk fitted with castors had been wheeled to the center of the intersection and a young lady traffic policeman was directing traffic with the expected flamboyant gestures. I was a little puzzled, because I couldn't see that she had any means of actually controlling the signals.
Shigatse is the second largest city in Tibet. The lady traffic policeman is on the left.
We passed the multistory modern offices of the Agricultural Bank of China. Its modernity contrasted oddly with the mountainside strewn with prayer flags which formed the backdrop to the town.
Our driver parked outside the Songtsen Tibetan Restaurant whilst we all took lunch. I think I had vegetable soup (this is proving a great success), and a cheese sandwich (Yak cheese, tasted like a mild Cheddar – did you need to ask?) and sweet tea (also a success – where there's a group of diners, they just leave a battered thermos flask on the table and you help yourself).
After lunch, a short drive took us to the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. I was given an admission ticket which included a pre-paid postcard bearing a brief history in three languages ready to address and send – an imaginative idea, I thought. The monastery is one of the six largest of the Gelugpa School of Tibetan Buddhism.
The admission ticket/postcard advised that the monastery was founded in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama, Gedun Drubpa, who was the closest disciple of Tsongkapa. There is a Great Assembly Hall, the Reliquary Chapel of successive previous Pachen Lamas, the Chapel of the Future Buddha, Maitreya (containing the largest gilded-bronze statue in the world), and sixty other chapels containing relics. It's famous for the traditional Cham tantric dance.
Earlier in the trip, I'd been rather surprised to see monks wearing all sorts of modern footwear. At Tashi Lhunpo, only the traditional woollen footwear with a thick, flat sole is allowed. The monks also wear a thick, yellow outer cloak and a yellow hat for some rituals.
Three sets of wooden steps, side by side, lead into the Great Assembly Hall. To remind everybody that only the Pachen Lama can use the central steps, they were closed off with a pattern of coloured ribbons.
In general, photography is not allowed in the most holy places, although certain other chapels ask for payment for photography. The fees seem to vary wildly, even within one monastery.
We spent some time exploring the various buildings. It was hot and there was a fair bit of climbing because the monastery is on the side of a hill but I thoroughly enjoyed the visit.
Monks at the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery.
A short drive took us to the Tibet Gang-Gyen Carpet Factory. This was one of many initiatives promoted by the previous Pachen Lama to assist the Tibetan people. The well-laid out, modern premises are run so that workers share in the profits and a proportion is returned to the monastery. Most of the workers producing hand-knotted carpets are women – they appeared happy and friendly and mothers were allowed to bring their young children. All told, about 150 people are involved in the enterprise and I was impressed.
Hand-knotting a carpet at the Tibet Gang-Gyen Carpet Factory.
The driver, guide and I then checked into the Shigatse Hotel. It's built in Tibetan style and enjoys 4 stars. My room was certainly well-appointed. The Tibetan-style bed didn't have a sprung mattress and, although I like a firm bed, I was worried it would prove too hard. In fact, I slept soundly and overslept the following morning. There was supposed to be Wi-Fi in the lobby but I couldn't get it to work. There was a note in my bedroom saying I could plug into the network but the only network socket I could find was running the television. However, I tried the socket and immediately obtained a good connection (providing the limited service available in China).
The sitting room in my suite at the Shigatse Hotel.
A pleasing conclusion to a fascinating, but exhausting day.
My Pictures
Lhasa - Shigatse by Road
Shigatse, Tibet
Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, Shigatse, Tibet
Tibet Gang-Gyen Carpet Factory
Shigatse Hotel, Shigatse, Tibet
[Pictures inserted and links to pictures added 22-Aug-2013].
