Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The easy way to get out to Drepung is by bus 18, 25 or 16, which run from Beijing Donglu
to the foot of the Drepung hill. From here minivans run up to the monastery (¥3). A taxi
from the Barkhor is ¥30.
Nechung Monastery
; admission ¥10; 8.30am-5pm)
is worth a visit for its historical role as the seat of the
Tibetan State Oracle until 1959. The oracle was the medium of Dorje Drakden, an aspect
of Pehar, the Gelugpa protector of the Buddhist state, and the Dalai Lamas would make no
important decision without first consulting him. The oracle was not infallible, however; in
1904 the oracle resigned in disgrace after failing to predict the invasion of the British un-
der Younghusband. In 1959 the State Oracle fled to India with the Dalai Lama.
Nechung is an eerie place associated with possession, exorcism and other pre-Buddhist
rites. The blood-red
doors
at the entrance are painted with flayed human skins, and scenes
of torture line the top of the outer courtyard. Tantric drumming booms from the depths of
the building like a demonic heartbeat.
For images of Dorje Drakden, the protective spirit manifested in the State Oracle, see
the back-room chapel to the left of the main hall. The statue in the left corner shows Dorje
Drakden in his wrathful aspect, so terrible that his face must be covered; the version on the
right has him in a slightly more conciliatory frame of mind. The
la-shing
(sacred tree) in
between the two is the home of Pehar.
The far right chapel has an amazing
spirit trap
and a statue of the Dzogchen deity Eka-
jati, recognisable by her single fang and eye and representing the power of concentration.
On the 1st floor is an audience chamber, whose throne was used by the Dalai Lamas when
they consulted with the State Oracle. The 2nd floor features a huge new statue of Guru
Rinpoche. Don't miss the fine murals in the exterior courtyard.
Nechung is easily reached on foot after visiting Drepung, en route to the main road. A
scenic path leads past mani-stone carvers to the monastery (10 minutes).
