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Sightseeing tour in Lhasa and
Ganden (4,500m.). You visit the Potala
Palace, Jorkhang Temple, Barkhor Street,
Drepung and Sera Monasteries, Norbu Lingka
and the Ganden Monastery.
One of the highlights is the visit to
the symbol of Tibet; the Potala Palace
set high on Red Hill, the winter home of
the Dalai Lama until 1959. The most sacred
temple in Lhasa is the Lokhang, where people
come from all over Tibet to visit and pray
in this spiritual heart of the country.
Next you visit Jorkhang Temple, the center
of the Tibetan Buddhism and the sacred
land of Buddhist followers where innumerable
pilgrims come for worship every day. The
temple, built in 647, is the earliest wood-and-masonry
structure still existing in Tibet.
Surrounding the Jorkhang Temple is the
bustling Barkhor Street which is the religious
and social focus of Lhasa. Around the Barkhor
there are numerous stalls selling all sorts
of handicrafts: brightly coloured boots
and fur-lined hats, silver and turquoise
jewellery, rosaries, prayer flags and charms,
as well as beautiful Tibetan carpets and
all manner of ordinary household ware.
Drepung Monastery is one of the great
monasteries of the Gelukpa (yellow hat)
sect, just outside Lhasa. Another attraction
is visit to Sera Monastery, which was created
in 1419. As rose are planted everywhere
in the monastery, it is also called “the
court of wild rose”. Today still
200 lamas live in there. Norbulingka is
the old summer palace of the Dalai Lama.
In Ganden you visit Ganden Monastery.
Ganden Monastery, 60km east of Lhasa, was
first built in 1409, the 7 years during
the reign of Emperor Yong Le of Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644). At least 10 buildings have
been restored. Barley fields sprawl across
the valley floor, which looks splendid,
doted with small villages. It takes 4 days
to walk from the Ganden to Samye. This
is one of the finest treks in central Tibet.
Stay overnight at hotel. |
