Chapter 15 Section 15 Jokhang Temple Site Selection and Design by Princess Wencheng

Since Songtsan Gampo married Princess Wencheng and Princess Chizun of Nepal, Buddhism was introduced to Tibet.The Jokhang Temple and Ramoche Temple built at that time were both large-scale Buddhist architectural complexes, which combined the architectural art features of Han, Tibetan, Nepal and India.Now, the Ramoche Temple no longer exists, but the Jokhang Temple is still one of the famous ancient temples in Tibet. The Jokhang Temple is located in the center of Lhasa, Tibet today.At that time, Songtsan Gampo decided to build a Buddhist temple shrine in order to place the two Buddha statues brought by his two wives, Princess Wencheng and Princess Nibhara (now Nepal).Therefore, the site was selected and designed by Princess Wencheng, and the temple was built.However, it was not called "Jokhang Temple" at that time, but "Zulakang (meaning the assembly hall of the great temple)", and it was renamed "Jokhang Temple" after the Qing Dynasty.

Jokhang Temple sits west to east, with a total of more than 20 halls, with an existing construction area of ​​about 21,500 square meters, including scripture halls, Buddhist halls, and former local government offices in Tibet. The main hall "Juelakang (Buddhist hall)" has four floors, adopts the form of beam frame, bucket arch, caisson, etc., and is covered with a gold-plated copper roof. It not only has the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty, but also absorbs the artistic characteristics of Nepal. spectacular.Now, the central part of the hall still retains the original style.Under the eaves of the second and third floors, there are rows of wooden sculptures of beasts and sphinxes in clay semicircle, showing a high level of craftsmanship.In the main hall, there is a purple gold statue of Sakyamuni brought by Princess Wencheng from Chang'an (now Xi'an) when he was 12 years old. On the second floor, there are statues of Songtsan Gampo, Princess Chizun, Princess Wencheng, etc., with vivid postures. Generous.The hall and the surrounding corridors are covered with Tibetan-style murals, which are nearly a kilometer long, colorful and lifelike. Among them, "Princess Wencheng's Entry to Tibet" and "Jokhang Temple Construction Map" all have certain historical and artistic value.The 108 sets of "Gazhuer Buddhist Sutras" (also known as "Tripitaka") collected in the hall on the third floor are priceless treasures for the study of Chinese Buddhism.

There are also important cultural relics such as two Ming Dynasty thangkas and gold benba vases in the temple. Thangkas are scroll paintings. On these two Thangkas in the Jokhang Temple, two of the three Buddha statues of Tantric Buddhism enshrined by the Gelug Sect are embroidered.Due to the dry climate, even after more than 500 years, it is still bright in color and very complete, which is indeed a rare art treasure. The gold benba vase, bestowed by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty in 1792, is 34 centimeters high. The whole body is composed of patterns such as lotus petals, wishful head patterns, and twining branches, and is covered with a bottle jacket made of five-color brocade. "Benba" means "bottle" in Tibetan, and there is a lottery tube inserted in the mouth of the bottle, which is used to draw lots to determine the soul boy.In order to avoid manipulation by the local nobles, Emperor Qianlong gave this bottle and stipulated that when searching for the soul boy, four guardians should be invited to write the name of the soul boy and Nian Geng on the ivory sticks in Manchu, Chinese and Tibetan, and put them in the bottle. After seven days of praying by the Living Buddha, it was recognized by each Hutuktu (that is, the Mongolian and Tibetan Living Buddha) and the Minister in Tibet at the Jokhang Temple.This bottle is often enshrined in front of the Tsongkhapa Buddha statue.

In front of the Jokhang Temple, there are the Princess Willow planted by Princess Wencheng and the Monument of the Tang-Tibetan Uncle-Nephew Alliance, which symbolizes the close relationship between the Han and Tibetan races. Important cultural relics of dynastic and frontier history. After 1951, the state gave priority to the protection of the Jokhang Temple, and in recent years, it has been repaired again for Tibetan people to visit and worship.