Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
One of the few monasteries in Tibet to weather the stormy seas of the Cultural Revolution,
Tashilhunpo remains relatively unscathed. It is a real pleasure to explore the busy cobbled
lanes twisting around the aged buildings. Covering 70,000 sq metres, the monastery is now
the largest functioning religious institution in Tibet and one of its great monastic sights.
The huge golden statue of the Future Buddha is the largest gilded statue in the world.
From the entrance to the monastery, visitors get a grand view. Above the white monastic
quarters is a crowd of ochre buildings topped with gold - the tombs of the past Panchen
hung with massive, colourful thangkas during festivals. Circumnavigating the exterior of
the compound is a one-hour kora that takes you into the hills behind the monastery.
As you start to explore the various buildings, you'll see a lot of photos of the ninth, 10th
and 11th Panchen Lamas. The ninth Panchen Lama is recognisable by his little moustache.
The 11th Panchen Lama is the disputed Chinese-sponsored lama, now in his early 20s.
Morning is the best time to visit because more of the chapels are open. Monks start to
lock chapels up for lunch after 12.30pm.
Severe restrictions on photography are in place inside the monastic buildings. The going
cost for a photograph varies but be prepared for a pricey ¥75 per chapel, and as high as
¥150 in the assembly hall. Video camera fees are an absurd ¥1000 to ¥1500 in some
chapels.
Chapel of Jampa (Jamkhang Chenmo)
Walk through the monastery and bear left for the first and probably most impressive of
Tashilhunpo's sights: the Chapel of Jampa. An entire building houses a 26m figure of
Jampa (Maitreya), the Future Buddha. The statue was made in 1914 under the auspices of
the ninth Panchen Lama and took some 900 artisans and labourers four years to complete.
The impressive, finely crafted and serene-looking statue towers high over the viewer.
Each of Jampa's fingers is more than 1m long, and in excess of 300kg of gold went into
his coating, much of which is also studded with precious stones. On the walls surrounding
the image there are a thousand more gold paintings of Jampa set against a red background.
Victory Chapel (Namgyel Lhakhang)
