Tibet (#1) is featured in Part 9 of my 25-day Elderhostel program in China called “Tibet, Border Kingdoms, and Yangtze River Study Cruise” with stays in ten cities and three days cruising on the Yangtze River in April and May 2007. Tibet (#2) continues with our visit there.
I have published 15 articles relating to this adventure. Click on "next" to advance through the pictures rather than "article index". Please visit my home page for easy access to the articles which begin with "The Many Faces
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We fly from Chengdu (elevation 1667
feet) to Lhasa, Tibet (elevation 12,000) on the two-hour flight.
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Nietang Buddha, named after Mt. Nietang
25 miles from Lhasa, is the biggest stone statue engraved on a cliff in Tibet...
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The Buddha statue depicts Sakyamuni
sitting under a bodhi tree to capture evils. The statue is about 26 feet wide...
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A painting/carving near the Nietang
Buddha
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Prayer flags fly above Nietang Buddha
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One of two statues at the entrance to
Norbulingka which is the summer palace of the Dalai Lama.
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The palace (actually several structures)
reflects the ethnical and religious beliefs of the Tibetan people and...
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The summer palace is now open to the
Tibetans as a park because the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, lives...
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The complex is considered to be of
great cultural value and has been listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural...
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Before 1959 common people had no
access to the palace grounds.
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Small children playing in the park asked
for money before allowing their picture to be taken.
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Their mother is probably a vendor
of souvenirs on the grounds of the summer palace.
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A set-up like this was seen several
times in Tibet as water in the kettle is boiled using solar heat.
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One of many pavilions on the grounds
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A close-up of a figure on the roof of
the pavilion in the prior picture
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A close-up of a rooftop decoration
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Another pavilion
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A decorative screen
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Certainly a pretty sight as we were
leaving the grounds of the summer palace
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Drepung Monastery was founded in 1416.
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It was heavily damaged in 1618, 1635,
and early in the 18th century, but there was very little damage done...
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Once the largest monastery in the world,
it was very successful. Just one year after it opened, 2,000 monks were in...
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The monastery is open daily for visitors
as the monks go about their routine activities.
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Drepung is a huge place, and my guide
book recommends spending some time just wandering and appreciating the...
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The complex contains many buildings,
halls, chapels, stairways, and statues!
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Asia
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