Chris: So we have Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai and it's a 9 day trip.
Ronnie: Okay.
Chris: If we extend a few days, then we can fit in Tibet. What do you think?
Ronnie: Might as well, since we'll be on that side of the world anyway.
And with that, we added 3 days to our itinerary to visit Lhasa. Best.decision.ever!
(left) The mountains peeking through the clouds on our plane ride; (right) the view from our room
We left Xi'an bright and early on Saturday, and were awestruck by the mountains out the window during the flight. When we landed in Tibet, we were immediately struck by the scenery: plains that stretched out to snow sprinkled granite mountains and big bright blue sky. We spent the day acclimating to the high altitude (12,000 ft) and learning the do's and don'ts for Westerners visiting Lhasa. The Chinese government doesn't trust our Western ways of thinking, so there are guards posted every 100 meters, with patrols marching through the markets. We were cautioned to mind our p's and q's and not take pictures in the general direction of the guards (who were EVERYWHERE).
The guards in Barkhor Market
Our visit also coincided with the "60th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet." To learn more, click here. Okay, enough politics... onto the travel part.
The next day we headed out to see some of the sights. We were still a bit woozy from the altitude, but took it nice and slow. First up, Norbulingka. This is a beautiful garden complex which also served as a summer palace for the Dalai Lama. Our tour guide, Gyatso, guided us through the history of Buddhism in Tibet, while walking the fine line of not talking too much about the political history of Tibet. That is one of the do's and don'ts for the area... especially for native Tibetans talking with Westerners. In the afternoon, we saw Jokhang Temple, one of the most holy Buddhist sites in Tibet.
(Left) Door to the temple at Norbulingka; (right) The Dalai Lama residence at Norbulingka
Jokhang Temple
The next morning brought us more beautiful skies and amazing sights. We started by visiting a traditional medicine hospital. All I can say is folk medicine is folk medicine regardless of where you are in the world. After leaving the hospital, we wandered around the Barkhor market, which surrounds Jokhang Temple. We saw many people spinning hand held prayer wheels and chanting Tibetan prayers. Some were locals and others were pilgrims who were walking to Jokhang Temple.
The pilgrims had walked from their homes to Jokhang Temple, sometimes hundreds of miles, and some of them even walked in a special way to show their devotion: They take three steps, say a prayer, and lie face-down on the ground. Then they stand up, take three more steps and repeat the process. The act of taking a prostrating pilgrimage can take the devotee years to reach the Jokhang from their homes. But they do it, as a sign of devotion and a way to help improve their karma in this life and the next. We walked with them for a good bit. They would hold our hands and pray, they would touch the girls on the head and pray for them, but mostly we just walked with them hand in hand and had a lovely, peaceful morning, and an experience we will never forget.
Walking and praying in Barkhor
Potola Palace
Next stop was Potola Palace and the 2,500+ steps. The Potola Palace was built as a wedding present from the king to his bride, a princess from the Tang dynasty (from Xi'an). After the fall of the monarchy, it became the home of the Dali Lama and the seat of political power for Tibet (until 1959 that is....) So we scaled our way up to see the palace. Again, the girls were troopers, though Gyatso and Ronnie carried them most of the way up. My legs were fine, but I felt like I was sprinting and couldn't catch my breath; I still think my heart was going to beat out of my chest. We finally reached the top and were rewarded with one of the most breathtaking sites of the area. After touring the palace, we made our way to the Sera Monastery to watch the afternoon debate. The Sera Monastery is the premiere Buddhist university in Tibet, and is where the current Dalai Lama studied. It is legendary for their monks debating on the teachings of Buddha and the philosophy of Buddhism. Walking up to the courtyard, we could hear the murmuring of the crowds and claps of the hands. But walking in the courtyard provided a whole different scene. The debates are said to further the monks' comprehension by having them defend their stance on the teaching and will help them to reach more knowledge. Monks were paired up to debate the topic of the day, with one standing and one sitting. The debater and the questioner hashed out the topic. In a battle of words, they use a variety of gestures including clapping their hands, pushing their partners for an answer, or plucking their prayer beads to win the virtue of the Buddha. I've posted a video below, because it is too amazing to not see for yourself.
On our last day in Tibet, we visited Barkhor Market for some last minute shopping and hanging out with the locals. On the way to the airport was our last stop, a visit with a local family. Gyatso explained that there were several families living in the one house, but they were all related - sister, cousin, brother. They treated us to butter tea and some traditional snacks, but then they really treated us by sharing folk songs and dance. It was fun to watch and the girls joined in a little bit. It was a great way to end our stay in Tibet.
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