20251014 Viking Gems of China and Japan Day 10 – Lhasa, Tibet - Jokhang Monastery, Canggu Nunnery, and Sera Monastery

Viking Gems of China and Japan Day 10 – Lhasa, Tibet - Monking, Nunning, and trying to breathe

 

OK, let's just get this out there. The altitude is kicking out collective butts. Arlona wound up with a bad headache. I tossed and turned all night. What was weird was that my hip, which was replaced 15 years ago, and my knee, which was replaced 12 weeks ago, were the source of the tossing and turning. Both hurt like I had just had surgery. By morning, that had subsided, but it meant I slept in 20-minute slices.

Our room came with an oxygen concentrator

Arlona spent a few minutes with it this morning

At breakfast, we could get a better view of Polata Palace, tomorrow's destination

Today's itinerary included visits to two monasteries, a nunnery, and lunch at a Nepalese restaurant. This is the bus we used for the entire time we spent in Tibet.

So close on the translation into English

Approaching the Johkang Monastery

The Jokhang Monastery is the most revered religious site in Tibet. The Buddhist temple and monastery was built in 652 by King Songtsen Gampo.

The large white objects are incense burners

Monks out monking

In this large square, worshipers were performing a ritual movement where they raise their hands over their head, then down to their chest, kneel, place their hands on the ground, slide them forward so they are prone on their chest, slide them back, and stand up

Most had mitts or wood blocks on their hands to facilitate the sliding

The entry area to the temple

We entered a courtyard before entering the main monastery/temple.

The symbols on the banner have nothing to do with Nazi Germany - Buddhists used that symbol thousands of years before the Germans coopted it

Another incense burner

Offerings left for the Buddha

The main entry - once inside, we were not allowed to take photos

The inside was nuts. People everywhere. It was difficult to move. People shoved past you. It was crazy. Some were tourists, but many were worshipers, leaving offerings of money or yak butter in burning trays. We made an early exit as we got tired of the constant ramming from all directions. We sat outside with some others from our bus and people-watched on the street.

Monks walking

Worshipers worked their way around the temple using the same movement we saw earlier - raised hands

Down to kneel

Slide out prone, then come up, stand, take 3-5 steps forward, and do it all again - in the pedestrian street

Like in Beijing, young folks were out capturing Instagram moments in traditional attire

We saw several women with this traditional Tibetan hair design, where colored yarn is woven in, and the ends are connected

We walked past some traditional old town housing

Dried yak cheese

Our next stop

The Canggu Nunnery

The oldest nunnery in Lhasa, Canggu houses women who study Buddhist teachings

The prayer room

Burning yak butter in the temple

Someone is making a yak butter offering

We continued our walk in town.

A local shop

I was finally able to capture a decent photo of the Chinese flag

Security seemed a little lax

We arrived at our lunch venue, a Nepalese restaurant

I'm staying away from alcohol at this altitude, but someone did give me a taste of the local barley beer

After lunch, we headed for our next stop, the Sera Monastery. Sera Monastery was founded in 1419 and is made up of a series of buildings. The word "sera" in Tibetan means "wild rose", and the hill behind the monastery was covered with blooming wild roses.

The entry

Looking back out the entry

A stupa inside the complex - stupas hold a statue of Buddha

An overview of the entire complex

A Lhasa Apso in Lhasa - they were originally bred as alarm dogs that monks carried in their robes - they would roam monasteries in packs and bark at strangers - this one was a little large for that

The main temple building - once again, we were forbidden from taking photos

The kitchen

At 3:00 each day, scholarly monks meet in an area for spirited debate. Sharing wisdom and making points involves a series of arm movements and hand slaps. Since none of it was in English, it was all very confusing.

After that, we returned to our hotel for a short break. At 5:20, we departed for another hotel for a buffet dinner and cultural show.

A soloist in a traditional gown

A highlight was the Crazy Yak Dance

On the way back to the hotel, we passed a large stupa in front of tomorrow's stop, the Potala Palace

Monument to the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet to commemorate what the People's Republic of China refers to as the "Peaceful Liberation of Tibet"

With that, we called it a night. Tomorrow, we will visit the Potala Palace and attend a Sichuan Opera in the evening.