Lhasa Drepung Monastery, China

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Drepung Monastery

The Drepung Monastery is located on the suburb of Lhasa. This monastery is the biggest one of the six monasteries in the Shamanism. It covers more than 200,000 square meters; there are many antiques in the monastery.

Once there were over 8,000 priests studying in this monastery. It was built by the disciples of Tsongkhapa, the forefather of the Shamanism in 1416.

In the Drepung Monastery the most important structure are the Cuoqin mansion, the four storehouses, Gandanpozhang Palace and more than 50 monks' villages. The Cuoqin Palace with great scale lies in the middle of the monastery, covering an area of over 4,500 square meters. There are 183 pillars in the palace.

The Drepung Palace plays a decisive role in the municipal administration of Lhasa, because Tibet is an autonomous region there, they combined the laws of politics and religion.

In front of the Cuoqin Palace, there is a magnificent bronze statue of Buddha. Behind there is a palace of "Buddha in Three Generations". It is an older construction of the Drepung Monastery, offered Gautama's statues of passed, present and future. Palace has a winding corridor, there is a board written by Tongzhi Emperor.

Many scriptures were stored in the second floor of this palace, among those the "Ganzhuer". In the northwest of the palace there is a small palace offered the Qiangba Buddha's bronze statue of eight years old. In front of the statue, ash of a prominent monk was offer here.

The four storehouses are Lousalin, Guomang, Deyang, and Abazhacang. Among them, the Luosalin storehouse is the largest. Its grant hall can hold 5,000 people at the same time. The remains of the high master Reyishi were offer in the Abazhacang storehouse.

Gandanpozhang Palace was once the lying palace of Dalai Lama. Before rebuilding the Potala Palace, the Fifth Dalai Lama lived in the Gandanpozhang Palace and wielded the politics and religion power in history field. The palace was divide in two courtyards. The front is the Dalai's sitting room and the back is the scripture hall. In July of the Tibetan calendar, Grand Snow Festival is hold in Lhasa. The ceremony of the first day is hold in this courtyard. That is a traditional activity spreading to present.

Above are the three parts of the Drepung Monastery. Only after you visit this monastery, you may know Tibet clearly about its passed and future.

Legends say this triton is the things left behind by the Gautama. It was lay away on the Wuzi Mountain by his disciple. After finding it, Tsongkhapa gave away to his disciple as a thing for soothing and spirit guarding the monastery.