Tibet Jokhang Monastery

Brief introduction of the Jokhang Monastery:
  Jokhang Temple is the spiritual center of Tibet. Everyday, pilgrims from every corner of Tibet trek a long distance to the temple. Some of them progress by prostrating themselves throughout their journey until they reach the threshold of the temple. Pilgrims kindle butter lamps with yak butter, or honor the deities with white scarves (Kha-btags or Hada) while murmuring sacred mantras to show their pieties to the Buddha. Every year, the Great Prayer Festival is held in the Temple. Initiation rites into lamahood of the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lamas are also held in this monastery.

History of the Jokhang Monastery:
  Built in 647 by Songtsen Gampo and his two foreign wives, it has a history of more than 1,300 years.It was said that the Nepalese Princess Tritsun wanted to build a temple to house the image of Jowo Sakyamuni brought by Chinese Princess Wencheng. Princess Wencheng reckoned according to Chinese astrology that the temple should be built on the pool where the Jokhang is now located. She contended that the pool was a witch's heart, so the temple should be built on the pool to get rid of evils. The pool still exists under the temple.The construction took 12 months. However, the original structure was small. Large scale reconstruction and renovation took place under the reign of the Fifth Dalai Lama.The temple is the product of Han, Tibetan and Nepalese architectural techniques. Visitors will be treated to the sight of various exotic and sacred sculptures. It also houses many invaluable cultural relics. The most famous and valuable of these is the sculpture of Jowo Sakyamuni aged 12. It is one of the very few sculptures of its kind making it even more precious. The image is flanked on both sides by the altars of Songtsen Gampo and his two wives who introduced Buddhism into Tibet.The murals in the main hall depicting the procession of Princess Wencheng arriving in Tibet and other murals depicting Jataka stories are also worth seeing.Two thangkas portraying Yamantaka and Chakrasamvara from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) still remain in perfect condition. The gold bumpa (a vase) upon which the reincarnations of Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama are decided, musical instruments brought into Tibet by Wencheng and other important artifacts are also kept here.

Legend one:
  The site of the Jokhang Monastery used to be a lake, at where the Songtsen Gampo promised to the Nepalese Princess Tritsun that he would build a monastery at where the ring laid. Unfortunately the ring dropped into the lake and suddenly it was shining from the lake to form a lighting net, and a nine-story of white pagoda emerging in it. To fulfil his promise, a project of constructing the monastery through thousands of goats began.
Legend two:
  Both the Nepalese Princess Tritsun and Chinese Princess Wencheng, the two wifes of Songtsen Gampo, brought a precious figure of sakyamuni as the trousseau. The one Nepalese Princess Tritsun brought is a 8-year-old full-length figure while the Chinese Princess Wencheng brought a 12-year-old one.The tibetan believed that the two figures were the earliest ones entering tibet.Then the tibetan king Songtsen Gampo began to build the Jokhang Monastery and the Ramoche Monastery to enshrine the two figures.
Legend three:
  It's said that the Jokhang was drowned several times during the construction. Princess Wencheng reckoned according to Chinese astrology that the whole Tibet altiplano is a sleeping witch(If you get a chance to the tibet museum, I suggest that you should take a look of an old  tangkas describing how the Princess Wencheng contend the geography of Tubo) who is an anthropomorphosis and with her head to the east and legs to the west. The pool where the Jokhang lies was considered the heart of the witch, and the water was her blood. Therefore Princess Wencheng suggested to fill in the pool to get rid of evils.Meanwhiile Princess Wencheng commended another twelve temples far away to restrict her extremities and arthrosis. At that time, the only transportation is the goat carrying sands and mud on the back. The Jokhang was built like this. Actually the word "Lhasa" was come from the Jokhang. In the past the Lhasa city was called "Rasa" not "Lhasa", literally," RA" is "goat", while "SA" is "earth", means a place built by goats. After that, Monasteries were constructed there and many figure of buddha and scriptures, sutras and pagodas were enshrined in it, and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims came here for the their religion. People believe that this is a place of religion and then changed "RASA" to " LASA", because "LA" means "Buddhism" and " SA" means "place".

Tips:
  1.Open Hour: All day. At 14:00 novice monks meet on the balcony of the second floor to debate religious doctrine.
  2.Admission Fee: RMB 70 per person.
  3.Photos can be taken in front of the monastery and on the top floor. Photos are taken for charges inside the halls. Charges are varied in different halls. It is unkindly to take a picture of Tibetans who stretch their body forward to pay their respects to the Buddha in front of them. 
  4.Evaluation:¡°No one will go to Tibet without visiting the Jokhang Monastery.¡± The famous Lama Nimaciren of the Johkang Monastery said£¬and each tourist will agree with his remarks.