Nestled within a river valley in the town of Gyantse in Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet, the Palcho Monastery represents an unusual intermingling of faiths. Sometimes referred to as the Pelkor Chode Monastery, this venerable place of worship is one of the only monasteries that incorporates teachings from multiple sects of Tibetan Buddhism. Within its walls, you’ll find artwork and scriptures dedicated to the Sakya, Gelug, and Kagyu sects of Tibetan Buddhism.

The main temple of the monastery complex is known as Tsuklakhang and was built sometime between 1418 and 1425. This three-storey building follows the typical Tibetan style of architecture. The ground floor has been divided into three parts: the front hall, the main hall and the back hall. There is a Dharmapāla[1] chapel on the right side of the front hall and a Buddha chapel on its left side. The main hall is where the monks study and chant, and is supported by a sequence of 48 colossal pillars. 

Within this hall, there is a spectacular 8-metre-tall bronze statue of the Buddha that is the main subject of worship. Like the front hall, there are also two small chapels on either side of the main hall. The back hall, by contrast, is much smaller and is only supported by 8 pillars. It also contains a bronze statue of Buddha as its main subject of worship. There are another 5 chapels on the first floor and one large chapel on the top floor, which is home to a series of breathtakingly beautiful murals. Once the temple was originally completed, it became an important monastery for the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

In 1427, the Tibetan noble Rabten Kunzang Phak donated vast sums of money in order to expand the monastery, which led to the addition of what’s known as a Kumbum[2] and a few other buildings. This colossal construction project was led by a monk named Khedrup Je, who was posthumously recognised as the first Panchen Lama. The Kumbum at the Palcho Monastery rose to become not only the most prominent of its kind in Gyatse, but also the most famous Kumbum in Tibet. This particular Kumbum is made up of a staggering ten storeys. From the first floor to the ninth floor, you will find 76 chapels with 108 doors. Each chapel contains a variety of stunning Buddhist statues. You can recognize the artistic value of each and every statue simply by looking at the vivid facial expressions of the figures being portrayed. Thanks to this expansive statue collection, this Kumbum is sometimes referred to as the “Hundred Thousand Buddha Stupa.”

Alongside the statues, the murals are another invaluable and celebrated artistic asset of the Palcho Monastery. They can be found throughout every chapel of the Kumbum and in every room of the main temple. The murals in the main temple were painted following a deliberate and carefully planned design, which was based around the function of the hall and who would typically be worshipping within it.  For example, in the main hall you will find the three main Buddhas associated with Buddhism: Gautama Buddha, Dīpankara Buddha[3] and Maitreya Buddha [4]. The murals in the Kumbum are mainly dedicated to depicting stories from the Vajrayāna sect of Buddhism [5].

Throughout its long history, the Palcho Monastery has suffered through three major catastrophes. In 1904, a British expedition decided to infiltrate Lhasa via Gyantse. After about 100 days of warfare, the people of Gyantse were unable to prevent this invasion. The British expedition therefore captured Gyantse and decided to make the Palcho Monastery their temporary military base, which caused a huge amount of damage to the interior. The second catastrophe that caused colossal damage to the monastery happened during the 1959 Tibetan Uprising, the event which prompted the 14th Dalai Lama to flee to India. The final catastrophe came only ten years later, when the monastery was ransacked during the Cultural Revolution.

Fortunately, the entire monastery has been restored and the restoration project did a wonderful job of repairing the damage. Nowadays, when you visit the monastery, you will still be struck by its vibrancy and beauty. You may find, however, that the colour on some of the murals has changed due to the burning of the ceremonial butter lamps. This is not a scar left by historical atrocities, but is simply a mark of time and religious devotion.

[1] A Dharmapāla is a type of wrathful god in Buddhism.

[2] A Kumbum is a multi-storied stūpa of Buddhist chapels in Tibetan Buddhism.

[3] Dīpankara is one of the Buddhas of the past.

[4] Maitreya is regarded as the future Buddha.

[5] The term Vajrayāna is used to refer to one of the major sects of Buddhism, which is sometimes known as the Tantric sect. It mainly focuses on the chanting of mantras, the use of special gestures known as mudras, and visualization methods with the help of paintings called mandalas.

Make your dream trip to the Palcho Monastery come true on our travel:  Explore Untouched Wilderness on Our Full Circuit of Tibet

Hidden deep within the rocky mountains, the ruins of the Guge Kingdom continue to tell their story. This  cluster of relics made up of ancient palaces and temples are all that remains of the once illustrious Guge Kingdom. Thanks to the dry climate and cool weather, these earthen structures have been beautifully well-preserved for hundreds of years.The murals and other artistic works found throughout the complex demonstrate just how prosperous the kingdom had been in its heyday.

In 842 AD, a ruler by the name of Langdarma, who served as the ninth emperor of the Tibetan Empire, was assassinated by a monk. Rather than mourning the loss of their father, his two sons immediately began a civil war in order to seize the throne. In the end, it was the son born by his first wife who emerged victorious and gained control of the central kingdom based in Lhasa. The son from his second wife, who was named Namde Ösung, lost the war and fled to the eastern territories. However, this regime faced many challenges and was characterized by its instability. In 930 AD, the grandson of Namde Ösung, who was known as Nyi Ma Mgon, decided he wanted to expand his territory and set out to conquer new land. He chose 100 soldiers to go with him and together they headed towards western Tibet.

They arrived at the holy Manasarovar Lake, which shimmers in sapphire-hued splendor at the base of the sacred Mount Kailash. From there, Nyi Ma Mgon conquered the prefecture of Ngari and established his own kingdom. He set the capital in the city of Guge.  

Nyi Ma Mgon divided his territory among his three sons. The eldest son took control of Ladakh, which was known as the Kingdom of Lakes. The second son Bkra Shis Mgon received the rocky Guge Kingdom. His third son was awarded Puhrang, which was surrounded by lofty snow-capped mountains.

Bkra Shis Mgon’s eldest son Srong Nge took the throne on his father’s death. He was a devout Buddhist and this influenced much of his reign. He sent monks to India so that they could study Buddhism in more depth, he built the Tholing Monastery, and he finally stepped down as ruler to become a monk, passing the throne on to his younger brother. From then onwards, he was known by his religious name of Ye Shes ‘Od.

According to legend, Ye Shes ‘Od started a war with a neighbouring nation ruled by an ethnic group known as the Karluks,  in order to get enough gold so that he could invite a well-known Indian Buddhist religious leader named Atiśa to visit his kingdom. His plan, however, ended up backfiring horrible, as he lost the war and was captured! The leader of the Karluks promised to release him if he converted to Islam.  As you can probably guess, Ye Shes ‘Od refused the offer. Instead, he accepted the leader’s second conditional offer, which was to buy his freedom with a pile of gold that was the same height as him! When the time came to make good on the offer, Ye Shes ‘Od nobly told his people that he would rather that they use the gold to invite Atiśa to the kingdom. In the end, Ye Shes ‘Od died in prison and never made it back to his home. When Atiśa heard this story, he was so moved that he visited the Guge Kingdom in 1042 and taught Buddhism there for 3 years.  From then onwards, Buddhism enjoyed a golden era in Guge.

Hundreds of years later, in 1624, a Jesuit preacher named António de Andrade arrived in Guge. The King at the time was amazed by Andrade’s teachings and allowed him to build a chapel, where he conducted his missionary work. While the King was pleased with his decision, the Buddhists living in Guge certainly were not and it earned the ire of the Chief Lama, who also happened to be the King’s brother! Chief Lama called on more and more people to become monks in his monastery, while the king asked them to abandon Buddhism. The King, however, did have a good reason for doing this. For many years, the Guge Kingdom had been menaced by the hostile Kingdom of Ladakh. The King recognized that he needed more soldiers, not more monks.

A revolt eventually took place in 1630, and the chaos allowed Ladakh forces to infiltrate Guge. Tsaparang was under siege for months before the King finally surrendered. The royal family and the preachers were captured. This marks the end of the 700-year-long Guge Kingdom.

Nowadays, all that remains of the once illustrious Guge are a cluster of ruins, which include more than 400 rooms, 58 forts, 28 pagodas, 4 temples, 3 tombs, 1 armoury, and some other caves. The whole town is on a hill that is about 300 meters high. The ruins can be divided into three parts: the palace is on the top, the temples are in the middle, and the residential buildings are at the bottom. The rooms are connected by a complicated underground tunnel system.

Restoration of relics was completed in 2016, transforming the Guge Ruins into a living museum. Alongside admiring the magnificent ruins themselves, visitors are also able to see some of the stunning Buddhist art that the kingdom was once famous for, particularly the murals within the four temples. 

Explore more about the mysterious Guge Kingdom on our travel:

Explore Untouched Wildness on Our Full Circuit of Tibet

At 11:30am on May 29^th 1953, New Zealand-born Edmund Hillary and Nepali Sherpa Tenzing Norgay embraced each other at the top of the world. Climbing a colossal 8,850 metres (29,035 ft.), they had achieved something that many had tried but all had failed before them; they had conquered Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world and the highest point on planet Earth. Its Tibetan name of Chomolungma means “Goddess Mother of the World”, while its Sanskrit name of “Sagarmatha” means “Peak of Heaven”. Located on the border between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, Mount Everest is the highest peak along the Himalayas and has been regarded by local people as a sacred place for centuries.

The mountain was originally known as Peak XV, but in 1865 it was named after Sir George Everest, British surveyor general of India from 1830 to 1843. It is composed of multiple layers of rock that have folded back on themselves, most notable of which is the Yellow Band, a limestone formation visible just below the summit. With its three-sided pyramidal shape, the summit is described as having three “faces”: the North Face and the East Face, which rise above Tibet; and the Southwest Face, which is located in Nepal. From base to summit, its slopes are covered in shimmering glaciers, such as the Kangshung Glacier to the east and the Khumbu Glacier to the west. Both the Rong River in Tibet and the Lobujya River in Nepal originate from glaciers on Everest’s lofty heights. 

Generally speaking, temperatures on Mount Everest are sub-zero year-round, with highs reaching only −19 °C (−2 °F) and lows plummeting to between −36 °C (−33 °F) and −60 °C (−76 °F). Since the peak is so high that it reaches the lower limit of the jet stream, it can be buffeted by sustained winds rushing at over 160 kilometres (100 mi) per hour. At the summit and on the upper slopes, lack of oxygen, powerful winds, and extremely cold temperatures preclude the development of any plant or animal life. Hostile though it may be, the valleys below the mountain are inhabited by Tibetan-speaking peoples, most well-known of which are the Sherpas.

The Sherpas live in villages at elevations of up to 4,270 metres (14,000 ft.), many of which are found in the Khumbu Valley of Nepal. Traditionally they were livestock farmers who lived a seminomadic lifestyle on the frozen mountain slopes, but they’ve since adopted a far more lucrative trade. After years of living in such close proximity to the world’s highest mountain range, the Sherpas are uniquely acclimatised to high altitudes. When British expeditions on Mount Everest began during the early 20^th century, they soon found highly paid work as surveyors, guides, and porters. As Everest became increasingly more commercialised, they have come to financially depend on the tourism and climbing expeditions that it attracts.

For those brave or foolish enough to try and scale this snowy behemoth, there are two main hiking routes: one that follows the southeast ridge in Nepal, and the other that runs along the north ridge in Tibet. The southeast route is largely considered to be easier, so it is the more frequently used, although bear in mind that “easier” is a relative term! Everest represents arguably the most challenging and dangerous climb in the world, with altitude sickness, fatigue, inclement weather, and powerful winds all contributing to the deaths of numerous hikers. As of 2016, over 200 people have tragically lost their lives while trying to summit the mountain. 

In fact, the weather on Everest is so harsh that there are only two brief time periods when an ascent is possible: between April and May, before the monsoon; and for a few weeks in September, after the monsoon. While adverse weather conditions certainly contribute to the difficult of Everest, worse still by far are the extreme effects that the high altitude has on the human body. Once climbers ascend past the 7,600-metre (25,000 ft.) mark, they enter what’s colloquially referred to as the “Death Zone”. In this area, punishingly low temperatures can lead to frostbite on any part of the body that is exposed and the oxygen levels are so low that the human body essentially starts to die.

As the body desperately tries to obtain more oxygen, rapid breathing and high pulse rates inevitably lead to exhaustion. During the more advanced stages, oxygen deprivation or hypoxia leads to poor sleep, an inability to digest food, and confused thinking that often results in impaired decision making. In a desperately unsafe environment where you need your wits to be at their sharpest, the last thing you want is an addled brain! To combat this, most hikers use supplemental bottled oxygen breathed through masks. So great are these debilitating effects that it takes most climbers an average of 12 hours to walk the distance of under 2 kilometres (1 mi) from South Col to the summit.

In spite of these challenges, people continue to flock to Everest in ever increasing numbers. In 1988, fewer than 200 people summited the mountain but, by 2003, that figure had exceeded 1,200. As if climbing the tallest mountain in the world wasn’t quite thrilling enough, some people have even been known to snowboard, ski, paraglide, and BASE jump down it! While the mountain certainly attracts its fair share of adrenaline junkies, the Rongbuk Monastery at its northern base continues to be a focal site of pilgrimage for the locals. At an altitude of 5000 metres (16,404 ft.), it is the highest temple in the world. So, if you’re planning on praying for safe passage up the mountain, the monastery closest to the heavens is undoubtedly your best bet!

As the spiritual heart of Lhasa and the holiest house of worship in Tibet, the Jokhang Temple is unceasingly buffeted by waves of pilgrims eager to prostrate themselves in its courtyards, spin its prayer wheels, and chant within its venerable halls. Although it is technically maintained by the Gelugpa or Yellow Hat sect, it currently accepts worshippers from all branches of Buddhism. Its undeniable historical significance and continuing cultural importance to the region meant it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, alongside the nearby Potala Palace and the Norbulingka. With its intricate mixture of Indian, Tibetan, and Nepalese features, it is an architectural gem beyond compare.  

The temple was originally built in 652 by Songtsän Gampo, founder of the Tibetan Empire (618–842). However, the nature of its construction is shrouded in mystery. Countless legends surround the sacred site, the most prevalent of which is that, in ancient times, the Tibetan people believed that Tibet rested on the back of a wild demoness known as a srin ma. Whenever the King tried to build the temple, it would miraculously collapse overnight and they’d have to begin construction again. It was apparently the King’s second wife, Princess Wencheng of the Han Chinese Tang Dynasty (618-907), who discovered that it was in fact the demoness thwarting their attempts to propagate Buddhism throughout the region. 

In order to halt her evil schemes, the King was required to build twelve temples: four on the frontiers, four in the outer areas, and four in central Tibet. Finally, the last temple had to be built over the site of a lake, which was said to be the demoness’ heart. Using 1,000 goats to carry soil from nearby mountains, the lake was filled and the Jokhang Temple was built in its place, subjugating the demoness once and for all. Another legend recounts how the King reputedly tossed his ring and promised to build a temple wherever it landed. It landed in a lake and, like the mighty Excalibur, a white stupa[1] emerged from beneath the crystal clear waters, over which the temple was built.

A far more likely explanation is that the temple was built to house the statue of Akshobhya[2] Buddha which the King’s first wife, Princess Bhrikuti of the Nepalese Licchavi Kingdom (c. 400–750 AD), brought with her as part of her dowry. Not to be outdone, Princess Wencheng presented the King with a far more valuable gift, one that is still revered as the holiest idol in Tibet. It was a statue of Shakyamuni[3] Buddha, but not just any statue. This statue, known as the Jowo Shakyamuni or the Jowo Rinpoche, was supposedly carved at the behest of the Buddha himself, and is one of only three such statues that the historical Buddha permitted to have made during his lifetime. 

This life-sized 1.5-metre (5 ft.) tall statue depicts the Buddha at age 12 and was gifted by the King of Magadha (modern-day Bihar and Bengal, India) to Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty before being used as Princess Wencheng’s dowry in 641. Glittering in the light, it is cast from precious metals and bedecked with a constellation of jewels. The statue was originally housed in the Ramoche Temple, but was moved to the Jokhang Temple on the death of Songtsän Gampo for security reasons. In fact, the Jokhang Temple was initially known as the Tsuklakang or “House of Religious Science”, but was renamed the Jokhang or “Temple of the Jowo” in honour of this statue!

From 756 to 797, during the reign of Trisong Detsän, the King’s minister became particularly hostile towards the spread of Buddhism in Tibet, so the statue had to be hidden. When the 5^th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso, unified Tibet and became its independent leader during the 17^th century, the temple and Lhasa as a whole enjoyed a golden era of spirituality. Although the temple was expanded greatly during this time, much of the original 7^th century structure has been remarkably well-preserved. 

The temple itself is a four-storey timber structure with a distinctive golden top. From the main square, one can view the entire complex. There are two steles[1] in the square, one recording an alliance between the King of Tibet and the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and the other engraved with hygiene tips on how to prevent the spread of smallpox. Even in ancient times, the government had a way to issue health and safety warnings! In the eastern section of the complex, a row of votive lights form a dimly lit path leading to the main hall. 

At over 1,300 years of age, the Buddha Hall is the oldest building in the complex. It is where the sacred Jowo Shakyamuni statue is currently housed, and also contains magnificent gilded statues of Songtsän Gampo, Princess Bhrikuti, and Princess Wencheng. A number of chapels surround the main hall, all dedicated to various deities and bodhisattvas[5] in the Buddhist canon. Thick with the smell of incense and illuminated only by flickering candles, a labyrinth of secluded corridors are the only paths connecting the halls and chapels of the complex. Outside, the doors and roofs are bedecked with glorious golden engravings, from docile deer flanking the Dharma wheel to monstrous dragons guarding the eaves. 

When it comes to worship, there are three pilgrimage circuits in Lhasa: the Lingkhor, which encircles the city’s sacred district; the Barkhor, which circumvents the Jokhang Temple; and the Nangkor, a ritual corridor within the Jokhang Temple that surrounds the statue of Jowo Shakyamuni. Every day, hundreds of pilgrims perform a kora[6] around each of these three circuits while prostrating themselves, chanting sacred mantras, or spinning prayer wheels. For this reason, the temple is closed to tourists in the morning and reserved solely for pilgrims. While the temple’s historic importance is part of its allure, witnessing the devotion that the locals continue to have for their faith is the real key to the Jokhang Temple’s magic. 

Notes:

[1] Stupa: A hemispherical structure with a small interior designed for storing Buddhist relics and for private meditation.

[2] Akshobhya: According to Buddhist scripture, Akshobhya is one of the Five Wisdom Buddhas and represents consciousness as an aspect of reality. He is the embodiment of “mirror knowledge”, which states that the mind should be like a mirror: empty yet luminous, holding all the images of space and time yet untouched by them.

[3] Shakyamuni: One of the titles of Gautama Buddha, the central figure and founder of the Buddhist faith. It is derived from the place named Sakya, which is where he was born.

[4] Stele: An upright stone slab or pillar that bears an inscription and usually marks a burial site, like a tombstone.

[5] Bodhisattva: The term literally means “one whose goal is awakening”. It refers to a person who seeks enlightenment and is thus on the path to becoming a Buddha. It can be applied to anyone, from a newly inducted Buddhist to a veteran or “celestial” bodhisattva who has achieved supernatural powers through their training.  

[6] Kora: A kora is both a type of pilgrimage and a meditative practice in Tibetan Buddhism. The practitioner performs a kora by making a clockwise circumambulation around a sacred site or object, typically as part of a pilgrimage, ceremony, celebration, or ritual. In some instances, it is used as a broader term to describe the entire pilgrimage experience.

Make your dream trip to the Jokhang Temple come true on our travel:  Explore Untouched Wilderness on Our Full Circuit of Tibet

At the southern foot of the lofty Himalayan mount range lies Yamdrok Lake, one of the three holy lakes of Tibet, alongside Namtso Lake and Lake Manasarovar. Surrounded as it is by snowy climes, it appears like a deep blue sapphire embedded in a sea of pearls. This colossal freshwater lake was formed by melted snow trickling down from the nearby mountains. According to legend, Tibetans believe that the lake was once a goddess who transformed herself, and therefore it is a popular site for pilgrimage. Devout Buddhists will visit the lake, sometimes every year, to walk around its perimeter, an impressive feat which takes an average of 7 days! It is believed that, by performing this ritual, you wash away your sins and are more likely to experience good fortune in the future.

Yet the lake’s spiritual importance doesn’t end there. Yamdrok Lake has been used for decades to help Tibetans find the Dalai Lama. After a Dalai Lama passes away, the senior monks are left with the arduous task of finding the boy who harbours the reincarnated soul of the Dalai Lama and is therefore the next Dalai Lama. They gather on the banks of the lake to chant and pray before throwing a hada[1] and other sacred items into the lake. By peering into the water, they are supposedly offered a reflection of the specific location where the Dalai Lama’s soul currently resides. In short, Yamdrok Lake functions as a sort of holy GPS! 

Situated 100 kilometres (62 mi) northeast of Lhasa and 90 kilometres (56 mi) west of a town named Gyantse, the lake’s remote location makes it tough to reach, but this is undoubtedly part of its bucolic charm. Its unusual shape, which gives it the appearance of a scorpion when viewed from above due to its two long “arms”, means it’s difficult to estimate its size, although the official surface area is listed at 638 square kilometres (246 sq. mi). Like gems scattered throughout its expanse, the lake is dotted with countless islands that serve as resting places for a myriad of bird species. During autumn and winter, thousands of birds migrate to the lake to nest, making it a veritable bird-watching hotspot. 

Near to the lake’s edge, it is not uncommon to see locals tending to their yaks or walking their Tibetan mastiffs, animal species that have been integral to the development of Tibetan agriculture. Within the lake itself, a large population of freshwater fish has earned the lake the nickname “the treasure trove of Tibet”. Most Tibetans won’t eat the fish, as they believe they are the embodiment of their ancestors’ souls, but thriving fish farms on the lake regularly transport their goods to restaurants throughout Tibet. So you might want to avoid eating any fish dishes near to the lake, or risk accidentally dining on Great Aunt Gladys! 

On a peninsula jutting into the lake, the Samding Monastery is the only Tibetan monastery to be headed by a woman. What makes this house of worship so unique is that it’s not a nunnery, meaning the female abbot presides over a community of male monks, as well as female nuns. This female abbot is known as the Samding Dorje Phagmo, who is considered to be the tulku[2] of the goddess Vajravārāhī. Not only is she considered to be the highest female incarnation in Tibetan Buddhism, she is also the third highest ranking person in the religion’s hierarchy after the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama. 

About 7 kilometres (4 mi) west of the monastery, the small town of Nagarze is the perfect place to stay if you’re planning on visiting the lake. With its plethora of family-run guesthouses and traditional restaurants, it offers visitors a glimpse of authentic Tibetan culture. However, no trip to the lake would be complete without first stopping on Kampala Pass, where you’ll be treated to a breath-taking panoramic view of the lake from above. Far in the distance, towering in at over 7,200 metres (23,600 ft.), the snow-capped Mount Noijin Kangsang creates the ideal backdrop for a truly unforgettable moment. 

Notes:

[1] Hada: A hada is a narrow strip of silk or cotton that is used by Mongolian and Tibetan people as a greeting gift. Although it has little monetary value, in a nomadic culture it carries deep symbolic value, as everything must be carried on one’s person and therefore must be deemed worthy to take up precious limited space.

[2] Tulku: A tulku is the re-incarnation of a deceased master of Tibetan Buddhism. Each time an old tulku dies, senior monks are charged with locating the young person who harbours their re-incarnated soul. The Dalai Lama is the most well-known example of a tulku. 

Make your dream trip to the Yamdrok Lake come true on our travel:  Explore Untouched Wilderness on Our Full Circuit of Tibet