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Tibet
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General
Information |
| Location: |
470-kms
From Bhutan |
| Average
Altitude: |
4,000m |
| Capital: |
Lhasa |
| Best
Time To Visit: |
April
To November |
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Tibet
is a rich and beautiful land with an average altitude
over 4,000m (13,120ft) above sea level. Possessing more
than fifty peaks above 7,000m (22,960ft), Tibet is home
to eleven Himalayan mountains over 8,000m (26,240ft).
China, India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Burma and Kashmir
border the Tibet. |
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| Tibet is a land
held back in time, housing many secrets. Nomads remain
much the same as they did one hundred years ago. Roaming
the plateau from winter and summer camps the nomads
still mainly subsist from their yak herds. Then, there
are the monasteries which are striving to find a place
in a country that's suddenly facing the 21st
century. |
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| The Tibetan
people and their religion have been inseparable. Even in
their earliest myths one finds references to Tibetan
religious beliefs. Originally, the Bon religion
dominated Tibet. |
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| After the introduction
of Buddhist statues and later, sanskrit documents from India,
Buddhism crept increasingly into Tibetan culture. Tibetan
Buddhism is the culmination of some early Bon beliefs, Indian
buddhist texts and several great lamas. Buddhism and politics
had been interwoven since King Songsten Gampo married a Chinese
and a Nepali princess, who were both intergral in the emergence
of Buddhism. It was the Fifth Dalai Lama who actually built the
Potala Palace as the government seat and religious center. A
theocracy had prevailed until 1951. |
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After centuries of
virtual isolation Tibet is cautiously opening up to the western
world. Officially, China has only opened the doors for travelers
these past few years. A visit to Tibet is an incredible
experience, although it is not for the faint-hearted. The
traveling is difficult and unpredictable. The infrastructure is
poor to non-existent, therefore turning a regular tour into a
complete adventure. |
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| The Qinghai-Tibet
Plateau, in the southwest of China, has long enjoyed reputation
of being "the Roof of the World", where Tibet
Autonomous Region with an average altitude of over 4,000 meters
and an area of 1.2 million square kilometers occupies a major
portion. The majestic Tibetan highland stands on of the
world and its unique cultural tradition has an international
fame. This is a land of vast contrast with snow-capped mountains
offering beauty unsurpassed and deep tropical rainforests in
another, and with open pastureland against imposing mountains
and cornier forests. The great Himalayas lies in its south with
the towering Mt. Qomolangma standing above all world's peaks. |
Tourist Places
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Lhasa
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| "Lhasa"
in Tibetan means "the land of gods" and is the capital
of the Tibet Autonomous Region is located between 29o 36'N and
19o 06' E at the north bank of Kyichu river, a tributary of the
Yarlung Tsangpo River, at an altitude of 3650 meters above he
sea level. |
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Lhasa has history of more than 1300 years and it's
been the center of politics, economy, culture and religion in
Tibet since ancient times. There are numerous scenic spots and
historical attractions, among which Potala Palace, Norbulingka,
Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Jokhang Temple and Ramoche
Temple, being the most famous. |
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Potala Palace
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| The Potala, one of the
most famous architectural works of our nations, is erected on
top of the Red Hill in Lhasa. The word "Potala" comes
from Sanskrit. In the 7th century, after the Tibetan King
Songtsen Gampo's marriage with Princess Wencheng of the Tang
Court, the Palace was built for meditation. In the mid-17th
century, it was re-built by the 5th Dalai Lama to its present
size, and ever since it became the Winter Palace of the Dalai
Lamas. The construction took fifty years from its beginning to
completion. The Potala is divided into two sections, namely, the
Red Palace and White Palace. The total height of the Potala is
117 meters which is built in thirteen storeys, the length of the
Palace from east to west has 400 meters and the breadth from
south to north has 350 meters. The whole building is a structure
of stone and timber. The top most flat glistens with golden
roofs. It is a majestic architectural work and the cream Tibetan
culture and complex of Tibetan and Han culture. |
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Jokhang Temple
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| Jokhang Temple situated
in the center of the old section of Lhasa, and was built in the
mid - 7th century A. D. and later extended by successive rulers,
it has now become a gigantic architecture complex. Located in
the east, facing to the west, it is a four storeyed Temple with
splendid golden roofs. It has architecture feature of Tang
Dynasty and also assimilated very much features from both
Nepalese and Indian Buddhist Temples. The murals in the temple
mainly depict the life stories of historic characters. The
temple houses many historical relics since Tang Dynasty and
statues of King Songtsen Gompo, Princess Wencheng, Princess
Bhrikuti Devi (Nepalese). "Princess Willow" (a tree),
and "The Uncle - Nephew Alliance Tablet" can be seen
at the front gate of the temple. Jokhang is the country' s
spiritual center, and the holiest destination for Tibetan
Buddhist pilgrims. It houses the sitting statue of Sakyamuni
when he was 12 years old. |
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Drepung Monastery
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| Situated five Km's
distance to the western suburb of Lhasa at the foot of Mt.
Ganpoi Uze. Drepung Monastery, was founded in 1416 by Jamyang
Choje, a disciple of Tsongkapa, the founder of Gelugpa Sect. The
monastery, occupying an area of 250,000 squire meters with a
fixed number of 7,700 monks, is the largest monastery in Tibet.
The monastery keeps plentiful historical relics, Buddhist
scriptures, arts and crafts. |
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Sera Monastery
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| Sera means
"hailstone" in Tibetan. Set at the foot of the Wudu
Hill to the north of Lhasa City, Sera is comprised of a great
sutra chanting hall, a college and 32 sections. Situated at
three Km's distance to the northern suburb of Lhasa. Jamchen
Choje, a disple of Tsongkapa, founded sera Monastery in 1419, a
disciple of Tsongkapa, the founder of Gelugpa Sect. The
monastery is erected grandly at a mountain slope with a
colourful architecture. Sera Monastery together with Ganden
Monastery and Drepung Monastery in Lhasa are known as the Three
Great Monasteries of Tibet. |
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Gyantse
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| A small agricultural
town famous for its wool carpets and the Phalkor Choide
Chorten.Between the monastery and the fort, this unique
structure built in 1414 consists of five stories representing
the five steps to enlightenment, topped by thirteen rings which
symbolize the stages of advancement towards Buddhahood. There
are 108 halls inside, each with frescoes and Buddha Shrines, the
frescoes showing a strong Indian influence. Before 1959 traders
coming from Kalimpong and Gangtok (India) used to enter Tibet
through Yandong and then to Gyantse, en route to Lhasa. |
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Palcho Monastery & Khumbum Stupa
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| Located in Gyantse town
and founded jointly by Kedup Je of the Gelugpa Sect and Rabten
Kunsang of the Sakyapa Sect in 1418. Palcho Monastery has a
special influence over Tibet's Buddhism owing to its being a
unity of three different sects, the Gelungpa, the Sakyapa and
Bhuton Sect, in one single monastery. The famous Kumbum pagoda
stands nine storeys with its 108 doors and 77 chapels containing
clay sculptures and various murals. The pagoda is said to have
100,000 images, either sculptured or painted, this also earns
its name to "100,000 - Image Pagoda". |
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Tibet Travel
Reservation Form
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