Tag Archives: Tibet

Namtso Lake

 

Namtso Lake is the highest saline lake on earth. Renowned as one of the most beautiful places in Tibet. Its cave hermitages have for centuries been the destination of Tibetan pilgrims.

Namtso has five uninhabited islands of reasonable size, in addition to one or two rocky outcrops. The islands have been used for spiritual retreat by pilgrims who walk over the lake’s frozen surface at the end of winter, carrying their food with them. They spend the summer there, unable to return to shore again until the water freezes the following winter. This practice is no longer permitted by Chinese authorities.

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Tibet, Nam-tso, 20060707 Het Nam Tso meer is een van de hoogste meren ter wereld met een fragiel ecosysteem en de traditionele plek van de Tibetaanse nomaden ; nu bezoeken in sneltempo steeds meer Chinese toeristen de plek

Tibet, Nam-tso, 20060707 Het Nam Tso meer is een van de hoogste meren ter wereld met een fragiel ecosysteem en de traditionele plek van de Tibetaanse nomaden ; nu bezoeken in sneltempo steeds meer Chinese toeristen de plek

images available through mail@stinophoto.com

Shigatse

Shigatse is home to the Tashilhunpo monastery, founded by the first Dalai Lama and ever since home to the panchen lamas of the gelukpa order or yellow hats.

The  centuries old lifestyle still seems pretty much preserved (at first sight) despite the Chinese rule ; a joy to wander around and mingle a bit with the ever cheerful monks.

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images available through mail@stinophoto.com

Sera Monastery Tibet

Sera monastery  is one of the ‘great three’ Gelukpa (the lineage of the Dalai lama) monastic universities of Tibet, located just north of Lhasa. The other two are Ganden and Drepung monasteries.

The origin of the name ‘Sera’ is attributed to the fact that the site where the monastery was built was surrounded by wild roses  in bloom.  (se ra in Tibetan language)

During the 1959 revolt in Lhasa, Sera monastery suffered severe damage, with its colleges destroyed and hundreds of monks killed by the Chinese invader. Sera was one of the strongest pockets of resistance against the Chinese. After the Dalai Lama took asylum in India, many of the monks of the Sera monastery who survived the attack moved to Bylakuppe in Mysore, India.

The Sera monastery in Tibet and its counterpart in India are known for their energetic monk debates on the Buddha’s teachings. Sera monastery developed over the centuries as a renowned place of learning, training hundreds of scholars, many of whom have attained fame in the Buddhist nations.

Tibet, Lhasa, 20060703 Debatterende monniken in het Sera klooster bij Lhasa

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