BY JOHN ALEXANDER CALDERON G.

INTRODUCTION

Tibet is one of the most interesting regions of the world to visit for its stunning mountains, including Everest and the Himalayas; its mysterious cultures, traditions and old buildings that illustrate the entire history of ancient Tibetans.

UBICATION

Tibet is an autonomous region in southwest China, located in Central Asia. Its capital is Lhasa. Tibet is a high elevation land (4,500 m), which is surrounded by the highest region on Earth.

TIBETAN ART

Tibetan representations of art are intrinsically bound with Tibetan Buddhism. They commonly depict deities or variations of Buddha in various forms from bronze Buddhist statues and shrines, to highly colorful thangka paintings and mandalas.

RELIGION

Tibet consists of different kinds of religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, and Islamic. The most prevalent religion is Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism entered Tibet by Guru Rinpoche in the eighth century. Before there was Bon tradition. With the rise of Buddhism, the ancient tradition almost disappeared, but was later recovered and founded 300 monasteries. Part of the belief created Bön Tibetan Buddhism. The Mahayana or Great Vehicle tradition is not limited to seeking personal liberation, but aims to expand the knowledge gained and teach the way for all beings. This vehicle takes different forms across cultures: Japanese Zen, Tantra or Vajrayana in Tibet.

LHASA

Lhasa is the capital of Tibet, located on the Tibetan plateau and surrounded by the mountains of the Himalayas. It has a population of about 250,000 residents. It lies at an altitude of 3,650 meters above sea level in the Brahmaputra River Valley. It is the highest city in Asia and one of the highest in the world. The altitude is so high that the amount of oxygen is only 68% of that available at sea level. In Lhasa, we can find three historical sites of great importance to the Tibetans: the Potala Palace, Norbulingka Palace and the Jokhang Temple.

POTALA PALACE

The Potala is the ultimate expression of Tibetan architecture and the prior residence of the Dalai Lama.

The monument is located on Hongshan Mountain at an altitude of 3,700 meters above sea level. It covers an area of 410,000 square meters and has a floor space of 130,000 square meters building.

NORBULINGKA PALACE

Considered "the jewel of the park”, is a palace and a park surrounding Lhasa. The palace was used as a traditional summer residence of successive Dalai Lamas since 1780 until the occupation by the People's Republic of China.

JOKHANG TEMPLE

Is the most famous Buddhist temple of Lhasa in Tibet. It is the spiritual center of the city and perhaps its most famous tourist attraction. UNESCO considers it as one of the premier heritage sites along with the Potala Palace and the Palace Norbulingka.

YAMDROK LAKE

It is one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet. It is about 72 kilometers (45 miles) long. The lake is surrounded by many snowy mountains and fed by numerous small streams.

SERA MONASTERY

The monastery is about 3 km north of Lasha. It is the largest educational center in the capital with four schools. Built on elevated ground, its stunning views from Lasha appears to be a stone guard throughout the capital which compares to the Acropolis of Athens.

DREPUNG MONASTERY

Is situated at the foot of Gephel Mount. Serving as the University of Buddhist Monks and consists of more than 10,000 students.

SHIGATSE

The second most important city in the region of Tibet, and stands as the world's highest monastery, at 4980 meters. Just 8 miles away, is the base of Mt. Everest, the highest peak on earth. Among the most prominent sites, there is the Tashilunpo monastery, built in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama, whose main chapel daunting statue of Maitreya, the future Buddha.

GYANTSE

In Gyantse, is located the Khumbun Stupa, which has 77 rooms and 100,000 images of Buddha. The city has 112 chapels, of which 23 are open to the public. Pelka Chode Monastery and Gyantse Fort, are other main attractions.

MOUNT EVEREST

Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth above sea level, with 8.848msnm. It is located in the Himalayas in Asia, and the border between Nepal and China. In Nepal is called Sagarmatha (the forehead of the sky) and in China is called Chomolungma or Qomolangma Feng (mother of the universe).