11th Panchen Lama drops a visit to Jokhang Temple

July,28 2016 BY Master Catherine Jigme 0 COMMENTS

Eevery year, Panchen Lama drops a visit to Jokhang Temple which is the holiest temple in Lhasa. Visitintg Jokhang has become an annual event for Panchen Lama in recent years. The 11 Panchen Lama began his Lhasa visit on this Monday.

Included on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2000 as part of the Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple is located in central Lhasa in Tibet. With an area of 25,100 square meters (about six acres), it is also the ultimate pilgrimage destination for Tibetan Pilgrims.

The 11th Panchen Lama, Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu (C), arrives at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa and is greeted by the staff at Jokhang temple.

The 11th Panchen Lama, Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, pays respects to the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, July 24, 2012.

The Jokhang Temple was built on the former site of a lake. According to the legend, the lake site was chosen after many failed attempts to build a temple in the region. Prior to this, every time a temple was built, it would collapse. Confused by this phenomenon, Princess Bhrikuti turned to Wen Cheng for help. Being a learned woman, Wen Cheng told the Princess that the geography of Tibet was very much like a hag, with the lake at the heart. In order to build the temple, Wen Cheng advised they must demolish the hag by filling and leveling the lake using 1,000 goats to carry soil from a mountain far away. When the temple was done, it was called Ra-Sa-Vphrul-Snang ('ra' meaning goat and 'sa' meaning earth in Tibetan) to commemorate those goats.

Whether the legend is true or not, this temple brought Buddhism into Tibet and became an inseparable part of Tibetan history and culture. The city of Ra-Sa grew around the temple and over time, become known as Lhasa, a holy land.

About the Author - Master Catherine Jigme

With exceptional passion and outstanding leadership, Mrs. Catherine has dedicated herself to Tibet inbound tourism and China tour for 15 years. As one of the handful females who see great potential of Chinese inbound tourism, Catherine has made great contribution to promoting Tibet tourism and enhancing the employment of Tibetans and prosperity of local Tibetan community.

Over the years, she travelled overseas with Tibet Tourism Bureau many times to promote Tibet tourism. Currently, Catherine works as the marketing director of Tibet Vista, an opinion leader behind the whole team of Tibet Vista.

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