"Tibetan source" Shannan, a scenic spot that 99% of tourists will visit - Samye Temple!

If Tibet is regarded as a thick book, Lhasa is its cover and Shannan is its prologue.

Shannan, less than 200 kilometers away from Lhasa, is the cradle of Tibetan history and culture. Why do you say this? Because there are many firsts in Tibet who came from the Shannan area.

The first temple, Samye Temple, the first Buddhist temple, Changzhu Temple

The first Tibetan opera Bagabu, The first tomb of the Tubo King

 

The first Zanpu Nyetri Zanpo, The first palace Yumbulakhang

 

The first farmland, Sarisotang, The first village, Yarlung Sokha

The first sutra Bangon Chaga, The first cable bridge Jia Sang Bridge

The first female living Buddha, Sangde Duo Jipam

…

Today, Shuying is going to talk about Samye Monastery, the first temple in Tibet.

Samye Temple is the first monastery in Tibet where monks were ordained and became monks. The buildings in the temple are laid out according to the Buddhist cosmology. The central Buddhist hall has Tibetan, Han, and Indian styles. Therefore, Samye Temple is also called the Three Kinds Temple.

After the completion of Samye Temple, Chisong Detsen invited eminent monks from the mainland, India, Khotan and other places to stay at the temple to preach and translate scriptures. He encouraged noble children to become monks and practice Buddhism in Samye Temple. He also announced that all people in Tubo would believe in Buddhism. From then on, the foundation of Samye Temple was laid. The lofty status of the temple.

Overall layout of Samye Temple

 

Samye Temple is the first temple in the history of Tibetan Buddhism that houses Buddha, Dharma and monks.

Samye Temple, known as "the first temple in Tibet", was built in the 8th century AD during the Tubo Dynasty. The foundation of the temple was determined by Master Padmasambhava, the founder of the Nyingma Sect. The entire temple building was designed by Zhu Hu. Jincheng of the Tang Dynasty The Princess's Son took 17 years to build.

The architecture of Samye Temple is completely based on the layout of the world in the Buddhist scriptures and is built according to the tantric mandala.

The Wuzi Main Hall represents Mount Sumeru, the center of the world, and is represented by a three-story "Uzi Main Hall" in Tibetan, Han and Tianzhu styles; the four main halls around the main hall represent the four major continents and eight small continents in the four Aral Seas, the sun, the The Moon Temple symbolizes the sun and moon in the universe, and the temple wall symbolizes the Iron Wall Mountain on the periphery of the world; Four towers of red, white, green, and black are built around the main temple to subdue all evil gods and evil spirits. Prevent natural and man-made disasters from occurring. There is a gate on each side of the wall, and the east gate is the main entrance.

The architectural layout of the entire temple is somewhat similar to the tantric mandala (mandala). On the top floor, you can look around. To the southeast and northwest are the four major continents of Jiangbai Forest, Ayaba Lu Forest, Qiang Balu Forest, and Sangjie Forest. Surrounding it are the Eight Small Continents, the Sun and Moon Palace, and the four white, black, green, and red pagodas.

The entire Samye Temple faces south. The plane of the temple is oval. It is laid out according to the world structure in the Buddhist scriptures. It looks like a long courtyard and covers an area of ​​about 25,000 square meters.

Samye Temple was built based on the Odanda Bodhi Temple built by the Polo Dynasty in ancient India in Magadha. Although it was rebuilt many times due to fires in later generations, the architectural layout has always maintained the style of when it was first built.

Transportation to Samye Temple

1. Take the bus bound for Shannan at Lhasa’s Western Suburbs Bus Terminal and get off at Samye Ferry. It takes about 3 hours, then take a ferry to the other side, and then take a truck or bus to Samye Monastery.

2. It is troublesome to take a shuttle bus to visit Shannan Samye Temple. Shuying recommends that you charter a bus or go with a group, which is more convenient.

 

Qingpu ashram

There is also a tourist attraction near Samye Temple, which is Qingpu Cultivation Site. Qingpu ashram and Samye Temple are of the same origin, and the saying "if you don't go to Qingpu means you haven't arrived at Samye Temple" is also widely circulated in the local area.

Qingpu ashram is located on the mountainside of Narui Mountain, 12 kilometers northeast of Samye Temple. Qingpu is more than 4,000 meters above sea level. "Qing" refers to the Qing family here at that time, and "Pu" means the upper part of the ravine.

Qingpu is surrounded by mountains on three sides. The mountains on both sides are like Buddha's arms tightly embracing Qingpu. It is inevitable that it faces the broad valley of the Brahmaputra River. Standing on a high place, you can have a panoramic view of the network of rivers and golden sandbanks.

Up and down Qingpu Mountain, there are many stone statues with simple and elegant shapes. Legend has it that these statues appeared naturally from the stones, so they are also called "Ranyong", which means naturally formed.

Shannan travel season

Shannan has a mild climate with four distinct seasons, warm in winter and cool in summer.

The average altitude of Shannan is about 3,500 meters, which is similar to the altitude of Lhasa. It is suitable for tourism most of the year.

The Shannan area has magnificent mountains and rivers, as well as mysterious sacred mountains and holy lakes. Picturesque primeval forests grow here, refreshing vast grasslands and the majestic Yajiang Waterfall.

When traveling in Shannan, you can not only enjoy the natural scenery, but also learn about Tibetan culture and history.

There are colorful beautiful scenery in Shannan, and the best time to enjoy these scenery is from June to September.

In summer in Shannan, the average temperature is about 20℃. The river valley is breezy and very cool. This season is very suitable for tourists to sightsee and play, but Tibet has a lot of rain in summer and the temperature difference between morning and evening is large, so it is best to prepare for keeping warm.

Recommended two-day tour route in Shannan

D1 Departure from Lhasa—Ganden Monastery—Sijin Lacuo—Gondelin Grassland—Red Deer Nature Reserve—Gacha

From Lhasa, leave the city from west to east and follow the Lalin Highway to reach Ganden Monastery. Ganden Monastery is the most special temple among the six major monasteries of the Yellow Sect. It was built in 1409 by Master Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Prepare and build it yourself.

After visiting Ganden Monastery, we then returned to Lalin Expressway and passed through Mozhugongka County to reach Tibet's famous God of Wealth Lake - Sijin Lacuo. The topography of Sijinlacuo Lake is like a treasure trove, surrounded by peaks, which is extremely beautiful.

D2 Gacha – Ram Latso – Dagu Canyon – Brahmaputra River Observation Deck – Samye Monastery – Lhasa

Starting from Jiacha, the first thing to go to is the famous Xiangxiang Lake Lamlacuo. This lake is a famous holy lake in Tibet. It is said that people with destiny can see their past and present lives in the lake.

Ram Lacuo has a high altitude, and vehicles can only go to the parking lot at an altitude of 5,100 meters. The viewing platform is at an altitude of 5,300 meters and needs to be reached on foot. Lamu Lacuo is at a very high altitude. Visitors can prepare some oxygen bottles for emergencies.

After leaving Ram Latso, we passed through Sangri County and reached Dagu Canyon, one of the four major canyons of Yarlung Zangbo. This is the home of wild animals, especially Tibetan macaques, which play on the road, adding a lot of fun to the trip.

When traveling from Lhasa to the Shannan area, tourists generally choose to visit for two days. Those who have enough time can take a three- or four-day trip. Friends who want to play for three days, four days or longer can come to Shuying (WeChat ID: tchw101).