Cultural ToursSituated in the center of the ancient city of Lhasa, the Jokhang Temple has withstood thousands of years of wind and rain and is still solemn and majestic. It is Tibet’s most magnificent Tubo period architecture and the oldest civil construction building. It can be regarded as the Tibetan flat temple layout. The Tibetans have a saying: “The Jokhang Temple came first, and then Lhasa City.”. This temple is not only the geographical center, but also deeply rooted in the social lives of the Tibetans, carrying the beliefs and emotions of millions of individuals.
Why is Jokhang Temple so important to Tibetan culture? What makes it one of the things you can’t miss of Tibet tourism?
I. Legendary Origin
In the seventh century AD, Songtsen Gampo of the Tubo Dynasty wedded Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty and Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal. The two princesses presented precious Buddha statues, and Songtsen Gampo wanted to construct a temple to worship them. At that time, Lhasa had numerous lakes, and the Buddha statues brought by Princess Bhrikuti fell into Wotang Lake numerous times.
Princess Wencheng used the Central Plains geomancy to select the temple site, and filled the lake with soil carried by white goats, and the foundation of the Jokhang Temple was laid. Since then, in the Tubo Dynasty, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, the temple has been expanded and rebuilt successively, and its scale has been expanded step by step. Its architectural style incorporates the characteristics of Tibet, Tang, Nepal, and India, and it is an exemplary model of Tibetan religious architecture, testifying to the exchange and integration between Tibet and its neighbors.
II. Architecture Style
The design of Jokhang Temple is the embodiment of religion and art. Its main hall is a Tibetan watchtower. There are simple and thick colossal stone walls, with intricately painted carvings showing Buddhist legends and auspicious designs.
The temple’s intensely designed composition originates from the center Sakyamuni Buddha Chapel and flows outward in three concentric pilgrim circuits. The inner circuit around the chapel is the Nangkhor (“Inner Circuit”), while the outer perimeter of the temple defines the renowned Barkhor (“Middle Circuit”). Outside these lie the broad Lingkhor (“Outer Circuit”), connecting Jokhang Temple to surrounding monuments like the Potala Palace, Chakpori Hill, and Ramoche Temple. These three concentric circles form the sacred pilgrim route for Tibetan faithful.
Usually, rows of pious pilgrims spin prayer wheels along Barkhor Street. Their procession walks under corridors lined with colorful frescoes. These murals, whose dynamic composition and kaleidoscopic colors have earned the nickname “Tibet’s Along the River During the Qingming Festival”.
III. The Light of Faith
The Jokhang Temple is a sacred place of Tibetan Buddhism, which cannot be divorced from the priceless sacred objects in the temple. The most famous among these is the life-size image of Sakyamuni. In the Buddhist world, this Buddha image is paramount. Devotees believe that visiting it is tantamount to visiting the Buddha himself, attracting devotees worldwide to come and offer obeisance from afar.
In addition, the temple contains a vast number of Buddha statues, thangkas, and sutras. Each cultural relic is full of the piety of believers, and each Buddha statue is full of a calm and serene atmosphere. They all bear the hope of people living a better life, making them valuable material to study Tibetan Buddhist culture.
IV. Cultural Heritage
In Tibetan Buddhist development, Jokhang Temple plays an important role. All the major sects, such as the Gelugpa, Nyingma, and Sakya, reverence this place. Tens of thousands of pilgrims visit here during the first month of the Tibetan calendar to recite scriptures, pray, and debate. The atmosphere is one of beauty and holiness.
Jokhang Temple is also an important religious education base. The monks in the temple learn and practice in a disciplined manner, pass on and propagate Buddhist teachings. It attracts large numbers of scholars and researchers to make achievements in the propagation and contributes to the progress of Tibetan Buddhist culture.
Conclusion
As time goes by, Jokhang Temple has remained silently standing on the white plateau. It is a custodian of history, a place of religion, and an inheritor of culture. Every brick, every mural, and every Buddha statue talks about the past. When people stand in front of the Jokhang Temple, they feel the tranquility and solemnity, as if they pass through time and space, talking to history, and embracing religion.
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