Around Lhasa - Sunday, 14th July 2013

I arose about 6.10 a.m. and had a decent breakfast in the restaurant. I then worked on the computer until around 9.20 a.m. when I went to reception to meet my guide.

Once in the waiting car, we set off for Drepung Monastery, north west of the city. My admission ticket had a potted history on the reverse (in tiny print) which I think stated that Drepung Monastery is one the six largest monasteries of the Gelupa Sect, set at the foot of West Valley Mountain about 10 kilometres from Lhasa. It was built in 1416 by Jamyang Choje Tashi Phlden, a disciple of Tsong Khapa. Over ten thousand monks resided there before liberation. The six main temples are Gaden Palace, Tsochen, Ngakpa, Losaling, Gomang and Dyeyang. Many important relics are kept here. There are three monastic colleges for the study of philosophy and one for the practice of Tantric Buddhism. The monastery covers an area of over 20,000 square metres.

The Main Gate at Drepung Monastery.

The monastery is set on a steep mountain side and considerable new building work was going on. As we climbed to the main assembly hall, we passed rows of Prayer Wheels and two water-driven prayer wheels. We entered the main assembly hall which was impressive in size. The whole place suggested antiquity and spirituality. Neither the guide nor I could enter the one small temple marked 'PLEASE DON'T COME IN WOMAN THIS CHAPEL' in English (presumably the Chinese version above the English said something similar). Although there were a number of Tibetan pilgrims around, the place remained quiet and reverent. Once again, a big contrast with the Potala Palace. I found my first butter lamp powered prayer wheels. A small butter lamp is placed under a glass case and the rising warm air turns a fan attached to a lightweight prayer wheel suspended above. Soon I was suffering complete overload from the number of temples, images, thangka (religious wall hangings) and other treasures but I found it a wonderful visit.

One of the many chapels at Drepung with numerous Stupas (reliqueries) behind the painted statue.

A short car ride took us to Norbulingka. The name means 'Treasure Garden or 'Treasure Park'. My admission ticket here was imaginatively in the form of a plasticised card with an image of the buildings which appears three-dimensional as you 'rock' the card. It was originally built in the mid-18th century by the 7th Dalai Lama Kelsang Gyatso as his summer residence (the Potala Palace was the winter residence). Expanded over the years, the gardens cover 36 hectares and form the largest horticultural park in Tibet. The site became a World Heritage site in 2001. It was interesting to see the former residence of the present exiled Dalai Lama but, for me, the site lacked the impact of Drepung Monastery.

Completed as recently as 1956, the Dada Mingjur Palace was the residence of the present Dalai Lama prior to exile.

We drove back to the city centre and the guide and I were 'dropped off' by the driver. We walked through the commercial area near the Jokhang Temple to an upstairs restaurant where we sat by an open window offering splendid views of 'the passing show'.

At lunch the previous day, I'd been amused by the number of menu items incorporating Yak. It reminded me of a Monty Python comedy sketch called, I think, 'Spam' set in a restaurant where a diner was unable to find any item which wasn't 'Spam'. At lunch on Sunday, I wrote down the items on their extensive menu which included yak. I was amazed at the list:-

Yak Noodle Soup
Yak Sizzler with Noodles and Chips
Yak Steak with Chips and Vegetables
Yak Pizza
Yak Burger
Yak Curry
Yak Chilli
Yak Biriyani
Yak BBQ
Yak Skewer
Yak Spring Roll
Yak Thukpa (?)
Yak Momo (?)

I thought that was an impressive list, but another dish caught my eye called 'Tashi Delek with Vegetables and Rice' because, in Bhutan, 'Tashi Delek' is a greeting, something like "How are you?". My guide said that 'Tashi Delek' meant the same in Tibet, but she couldn't tell me what it meant as the name of a dish. So we asked the waitress and I thought her answer made a perfect finale to my All-New 'Yak' sketch.

“Tashi Delek? It's Yak with extra rice”.

After a leisurely, enjoyable meal, we walked round the corner to the Jokhang Temple. Started in the year 647 a.d. by King Songstan Gampo, it was subsequently extended to an area of 25,100 square metres. Because of its antiquity and its treasures, it is particularly special to Tibetans and regarded as the holiest site in Tibet – unlike the Potala Palace, Tibetans do not pay for admission. I believe foreigners are only allowed to pay and enter in the afternoon, leaving the Temple free for Tibetans in the morning. Recognising its importance, the State Council have listed it as one of the important cultural 'relics' to be especially protected. Not sure about the 'relic' tag. There were plenty of Tibetans around when I visited in the afternoon and the Temple appeared to have a vital significance to them which maintained the spirituality of the place, despite the large number of foreigners milling around. An excellent visit.

An inner courtyard at the Jokhang Temple, showing the gilded balcony where the Dalai Lama formerly appeared.

We concluded the day by walking along Barkhor Street, Lhasa's oldest commercial street and part of the Pilgrims's circum-ambulatory route around the Jokhang Temple. I saw two fairly young male pilgrims working along the route, chest protected with a stout apron and wooden-faced 'mittens' on each hand allowing them to fully prostrate themselves, flat to the floor, every couple of yards, oblivious of all the commercial activity around them. That takes some stamina and a strong belief.

The pedestrianised shopping area around Barkhor Street is a magnet for Tibetans and visitors alike.

We passed through the Muslim area of the city. There is quite a sizeable Muslim immigrant population in Lhasa and near the Mosque (rebult in 1960) many shops are operated by Muslims, including a number of butcher's shops where large sides of meat are displayed next to the pavement. I didn't enquire, but I imagine it's yak meat. A few yards further on, we came to my hotel and I said goodbye to my guide after an exhausting but very interesting day.

My Pictures

St. Regis Hotel, Lhasa, Tibet.
Lhasa, Tibet.
Dprepung Monastery, Lhasa, Tibet.
Norbulinka, Lhasa, Tibet.
Jokhang Temple, Lhasa. Tibet.

Lhasa and the Potala Palace - Saturday, 13th July 2013

The alarm went off at 6.00 a.m. but I decided to sleep a little longer. It was half past seven when I woke and I still felt a little fragile but I got up and made my way to the restaurant for a buffet breakfast. I had tea, porridge, bread and orange juice – less than I would normally have when 'on tour' but enough.

Buffet breakfast at the St. Regis Lhasa Resort.

I had time to write some more about my trip and e-mail it before making my way to reception where my guide was already waiting. Outside the driver was ready with the car so we set off into the traffic. The population of Lhasa is only 140,000, I believe. The population of the whole of the Tibetan Autonomous Region is around three million but a proportion of these are immigrant Chinese.

The driver stopped near the Potala Palace and the guide and I walked to the entrance, which was thronged with visitors, mainly Chinese. The view of the massive bulk of the Potala Palace is an iconic image I've known all my life – it was remarkable to actually see it for myself. It's now a World Heritage Site and attracts large numbers of visitors. From ground level, we made our way up the broad, stone steps which zig-zag up the front of the building to the entrance to the White Potala.

The Potala Palace, Lhasa.

The Potala Palace, started by one of the early kings of Tibet, came to represent the two powers of religion and politics. The White Potala is the name given to the lower floors which deal with civic administration – political power. The upper floors – the Red Potala - are devoted to religious matters. I'd previously seen this dual structure on my visit to Bhutan for there the Dzongs incorporate both religioua power and civil administration. The entrance to the White Potala is wooden, heavily carved and with painted decoration. Inside, the lobby contained huge wall paintings. We started to ascend the complex internal structure by stairs and along passages. At various points, there were openings in the outer wall to let in light, revealing the substantial construction and great thickness of the walls which have resisted earthquake damage for centuries. We reached an open square which was the last point at which photography was allowed.

As we continued to climb within the Red Potala, the press of visitors became more intense. Admissions are strictly timed, but the authorities still cram in so many visitors that it is difficult to obtain a proper perception of what is an enormously important building. Continually being buffeted by unmannerly visitors (and, particularly, being hit by swinging backpacks) rather weakens spiritual considerations. I'm afraid commercial considerations rule under the current administration. A few monks, around ten I think, sit in various parts of the Palace. I can only imagine their thoughts on the continuous stream of humanity passing before them but in one room we received an 'assembly-line blessing' from one of the monks. In places there are window openings to let in light but, generally, the rooms are gloomy. There were large Butter Lamps everywhere. The broad metal bowls were filled with butter made from yak's milk, in which a row of perhaps ten wicks were positioned. These lamps appear to serve the dual purpose of providing illumination and devotion. At many points, visitors made donations and showed respect. I commented to the guide that many of the visitors seemed to have religious beliefs and were pleased to make donations, yet seemed rather lacking in good manners. My guide shrewdly commented that giving money comes from "the outside, not the inside". She went on to say that few native Tibetans now visit the Potala, resenting the fact that a charge is now levied. We processed through a number of temples and past impressive stupas holding relics. It is an amazing rabbit-warren of a place. With so much wood used in the construction, fire is an ever-present danger. I noted the odd fire main or canvas fire hose and there were frequent wooden cupboards with hand-held fire extinguishers. Many of the rooms had a Fire Watchman, easily recognisable by their orange overalls. My guide started looking at her watch and I asked what the problem was. She explained that not only are entrances strictly timed but you are allowed one hour to complete the tour of the upper rooms. If you are even one minute late checking out, a fine of 100 Yuan is levied, she explained.

Well, we made it on time to the checkpoint, then descended the steps at the rear of the Potala Palace to ground level. A short walk reunited us with our driver and transport.

All three of us had lunch at a Tibetan Steak House. The menu had English translations and I saw you could order Yak Steak, Yak Fritters, Yak Burgers, a Yak Sizzler (which my guide opted for) and other Yak specialities. I had a Tibetan vegetable soup and Spaghetti Carbonara (very Tibetan). The food arrived quickly and was good. My guide insisted I sample her yak meat and I agreed with her that it was similar to beef.

After lunch we drove to the Sera Monastery in the north east of the city. This is a major training centre for monks and the atmosphere was immediately different from the pressure of the Potala Palace. Now, there were many Tibetan pilgrims and most of the foreign visitors were westerners. We took a leisurely walk along the road which leads past the various buildings comprising the monastery. My guide pointed out the building where elderly monks are looked after by younger monks.

This monastery is famous for its religious debates which happen at 3.00 p.m. daily and I was keen to see a debate. We came to a crowd of  people, mainly westerners, waiting next to a closed door in the wall alongside the road and joined them. A little before three, the gate opened and we all filed into an open courtyard. The centre of the courtyard was gravel and it was surrounded by a roughly circular raised pavement. There were a number of trees around the outside and a couple on the gravel. Most of us set on the edge of the pavement dangling our feet into the gravel. Others remained standing. At three o'clock promptly a couple of young monks and an older, dignified monk whom I took to be the pupil master entered via another gate. Over the next few minutes, more monks arrived from all directions, some carrying a square cushion, until the must have been 30 monks present.

The monks broke up into groups of three or more. In each group, one monk remained standing, all the others sat on cushions facing the standing monk who would declaim some religious question in a theatrical tone and the seated monks made reply. Frequently, the standing monk would perform a stylised movement ending in a loud handclap accompanied by a cry (my guide informed me) of "wake up from your ignorance". With so many groups all performing in a small space, it was a fairly noisy affair. Of course, I couldn't understand a word but it was still hugely entertaining and very good-natured. There was a lot of smiling from the participants which I found infectious. Visitors were coming and going all the time so, after half an hour or so, my guide and I left, although I would happily have stayed longer.


The religious debate at Sera Monastery.

You can see a short video of the debating here. When you've seen the video, the Back Button will return you to this post.

On the way back to my hotel, we stopped at a Tibetan carpet workshop and showroom. I was very impressed with the intricate work involved and spent some time looking at carpets for sale but in the end, I did not make a purchase.

Back at my hotel, I spent a quiet evening checking my e-mails, writing up my recollections, backing-up my photographs and even doing some "work work" for Ford Electronics

My Pictures

St. Regis Hotel, Lhasa, Tibet.
Lhasa, Tibet.
The Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet.
Sera Monastery, Lhasa, Tibet

[Video of Sera Monastery added 23-Jul-2015]