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The unique
culture and long history makes Lhasa in Tibet a
shining pearl on the snow-covered plateau. Being the
Tibetan center of Buddhism throughout the centuries,
Lhasa boasts row upon row of magnificent Buddhist
buildings, including the well-known
Jokhang Temple,
Drepung Monastery,
Sera Monastery and
Ganden
Monastery.
Drepung
Monastery
Situated at the foot of the Mountain Gambo Utse, ten
kilometers (3.1 miles) to the western suburb of
Lhasa, the Drepung Monastery is the most important
monastery of Gelugpa in Tibetan Buddhism. Together
with the Ganden Monastery and the Sera Monastery,
Drepung Monastery is taken as one of the "Three
Great Monasteries" in Lhasa.
In Tibetan, "Drepung" means rice pile. It is so
named because the grand and white construction makes
the monastery looks like a heap of rice when seen
from afar. The meaning also symbolizes prosperity.
Covering an area of 250,000 square meters, it once
held nearly 8,000 and owned over 500 pastures in its
heyday. Today, it houses many precious cultural
relics and attracts crowds of visitors.
Chinese name of this monastery: Zhe Bang Si
Transportation: taxi
sources: xinhua net |
