Chapter 13 11. Memories of Shigatse

It was a sunny afternoon, after a difficult trek in the Yarlung Zangbo River gorge, what caught the eyelids was a colorful pastoral scene composed of golden rapeseed flowers and purple soybean flowers.Just like her beautiful name "Ruyi Manor", Shigatse, a bright hidden pearl, has attracted us deeply from the very beginning. Shigatse City is located on the alluvial plain at the confluence of Yarlung Zangbo River and Nianchu River, 277 kilometers west of Lhasa City, with an average altitude of 3,840 meters, an area of ​​3,875 square kilometers, and a population of 85,300. It is the second largest city and religious center in Tibet.Shigatse is also the transportation center of Tibet, with roads extending in all directions; traditionally, it is called Houzang, and it is the territory of the Panchen Lamas of all dynasties.In fact, during this trip to Tibet, I visited this famous cultural and religious city with a history of more than 500 years twice.

The first stop of our Ali trip is Shigatse.Although passing by in a hurry, Shigatse still left a very deep impression on me.It was a sunny afternoon, after a difficult trek in the Yarlung Zangbo River gorge, what came into view was a colorful pastoral scene composed of golden rapeseed flowers and purple soybean flowers.The driver told me that Shigatse arrived.Just like her beautiful name "Ruyi Manor", Shigatse, a bright hidden pearl, has attracted us deeply from the very beginning.Taking advantage of the time when the driver maintains the car here, we went straight to the long-awaited Tashilhunpo Monastery.Because it was noon, Tha Monastery was not yet open; to our relief, the guide Gesang told us that when we returned to Lhasa from Ali, we would pass by Shigatse, and we would visit Tashilhunpo Monastery carefully.Therefore, we proposed to take a look at the bustling area in the city center.Cars drive through the streets of Shigatse and stop in front of a bustling open-air market.When I looked up, my eyes were attracted by an ancient castle on a mountain not far away, and I hurriedly asked the pedestrians around me what kind of building it was?No one could tell why.Finally got an answer from the owner of a hotel by the market.It turns out that the mountain is called Sunshine Mountain, and the castle on it is called Shigatse Zongshan Castle, which has a history of more than 700 years, which is older than the existing Potala Palace.It was completely destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, leaving only the dilapidated city walls and palace foundations.It is said that the Zongshan Fort building in Shigatse at that time surrounded the Riguang Mountain; There are buildings outside the building, palaces inside the palace, and halls inside the palace, which are extremely magnificent and gorgeous.Today, amidst the hustle and bustle of people in the city, the dust of history is erased through the clouds of time, and the remaining ruins of the Shigatse Dzong Mountain Fort suddenly add a bit of vicissitudes to the visitors, making it hard to look back on the past. feel.

The open-air market at the foot of Riguang Mountain is very distinctive. It is all a beach, and the large red carpet is filled with a large number of Tibetan handicrafts, clothing, and card mats.In particular, the silver bowls and silver-clad wooden bowls are exquisite in workmanship, which can be found in almost every beach. It is said that these are special products of Shigatse, and it is hard to put it down.Especially the Tibetan housewife sitting on the carpet looks up at you with earnest eyes, as if silently begging you to buy one or two souvenirs with very local characteristics, which makes people want to stop.I personally think that the bazaar here is much stronger than the one on Barkhor Street in Lhasa. Not only are the products exquisite, but the market owners are also very simple and honest, and they don’t overextend prices.I have indeed learned that Shigatse is worthy of being called the transportation hub of Tibet.Shigatse is a must pass no matter whether you are going west to Ali, south to Yadong, or going to Mount Everest or Zhangmu Port.The streets are full of tourists who are about to travel and off-road jeeps ready to go.We are also one of these passers-by. We waved to Shigatse and embarked on the westward road to Ali. What awaits us will be endless desolation and wilderness.

When we came to Shigatse again, it was a night after fourteen days of hard work in the wilderness of Ngari.Due to an unexpected power outage, it was pitch black everywhere outside the car window, and we could only realize from the shop signs shining in the reflection of stars on both sides of the road that we had returned to the modern civilization that we were once far away from.I stayed in a small hotel opposite the Shigatse Hotel, and immediately called my relatives and friends who thought I had disappeared and were going crazy.Although it was only nine o'clock in the evening, I couldn't find a restaurant that was still open on the dark Shigatse Street.That night, I had to eat compressed biscuits for the last meal of this trip to Tibet.

Tibetan female vendors in the handicraft market in Shigatse A night rain washed Shigatse exceptionally clean. Walking on the street in the morning, breathing the fresh air from this ancient city, the flow of time has wiped away the vicissitudes of history in Shigatse, as if making people feel that she is seven A hundred years of history is like a long history.At the beginning of the 14th century AD, when the great Situ Qiangqujianzan defeated the Sakya Dynasty and established the Pazhu Dynasty, he established the political, economic and cultural center of the Nianchu River Basin in Shigatse, which was called "Xikasangzhuzizong" at that time. ", "Shigatse" is a Chinese transliteration, which means "come true".Xika Sangdrup Tse Dzong was the last administrative region established during the Phagdrup Dynasty, indicating that Changqu Gyaltsan's ambition to rule the whole of Tibet has come true.This is the origin of the place name of Shigatse.Master Padmasambhava, an eminent Indian monk, also played a major role in making Shigatse the central town of Tibet.According to historical records: In the seventh century AD, Chisong Dezan invited Master Padmasambhava to Tibet to build the Samye Monastery.When this eminent monk passed by Shigatse, he predicted that the center of the snowy area would be in Lhasa, followed by Shigatse.Because, the terrain of Shigatse is like an eight-petal lotus. In the east, there is the Nianchu River bestowed by the Buddha, which is as clear as nectar, as light as white silk, and as rippling as green waves; Juma Mountain in the west has the posture of a lion pounced on the sky, like the black Gongpo Vajra, which can drive away evil spirits and protect the heaven with its big fangs; the Yarlung Zangbo River in the north is like a black snake swimming Moving, roaring day and night, it shows that the sacredness and majesty of the Buddha's place are inviolable.If a foundation is established here, Buddhism will surely flourish.The prophecy of Master Rinpoche has become the ideal pursued by devout Buddhists, and they continue to gather here, making Shigatse the central town of Tibet.

When it comes to Shigatse, one cannot fail to mention Tashilhunpo Monastery, because it has a supreme status in the Houzang area.The Tashilhunpo Monastery was first built in September 1447; the first Dalai Lama, Gendun Zhuba, cast a gilded bronze statue of Sakyamuni in memory of the deceased master Xi Rao Sengge.In order to house this image, the temple was built and it took twelve years to complete.The full name of this temple is "Tashilhunpo Bajid Sutra Qinque Tangdu Nanbajwa Forest", which means "auspicious, rich, solid, rich, rich, and blessed to gather in all states", referred to as "Tashilhunpo Monastery" and " Auspicious Sumeru" means.It was in the middle of the seventeenth century that Tashilhunpo Monastery really became the residence of the Panchen Lama.At that time, the fourth Panchen Lama, Lobsang Chogye, assisted the fifth Dalai Lama Ngawang, Lobsang Gyatso, to order the Mongolian tribal leader Gushri Khan and his army to conquer Zangbahan and unify Tibet.Later, he helped the fifth Dalai Lama to establish the Ganden Phodrang regime that combines politics and religion.In order to thank Lobsang Qujie, the Fifth Dalai Lama presented Tashilhunpo Monastery to Luosang Qujie and presented him with the title of "Panchen Boketuo".Later, Tashilhunpo Monastery became the seat of Panchen Lamas of all dynasties.

Visiting Zha Monastery is one of my greatest wishes during this trip to Tibet. I drove west from the gate of Shigatse Hotel, and within ten minutes of driving, I saw the Tashilhunpo Monastery located at the southern foot of Nima Mountain. The majestic architectural complex with overlapping skyscrapers and red and white contrasts looks resplendent and mysterious under the reflection of the rising sun.The most eye-catching thing is that there is a huge brick wall on the easternmost side of the hillside. According to the guide Gesang, this is the largest Buddha exhibition platform in Tibet. Established for Buddhahood and Nirvana.It's a pity that we didn't catch up with the Shoton Festival that just passed, otherwise we could have watched the most grand Buddha exhibition in Tibet.

The largest Buddha exhibition platform in Tashilhunpo Monastery Buy a door for 30 yuan to enter Zha Temple, and pass a square, which is a long granite corridor. The sound of chanting scriptures in the bungalows on both sides can be heard from time to time, which makes people feel the religious atmosphere of Tashilhunpo Monastery. very thick.Out of curiosity, I peeped through the crack of one of the doors and looked in. I saw an old lama teaching a group of Tibetan children to learn Buddhist scriptures.Walking on the corridor, from time to time, you can see snoring puppies lying on both sides of the corridor. Legend has it that they were reincarnated from those lamas who were lazy and did not practice hard in the original Zha Temple.The legend is the legend, these puppies are still very cute, sometimes I can't help but want to pet them.Go straight to the central building of Zha Monastery - the Tsochin Hall.In the middle of the main hall, there is a statue of Sakyamuni personally presided over by the first Dalai Lama. On both sides are statues of his eight disciples. There are also statues of future Buddha, Guanyin, Manjushri and many Tara in the hall.In the middle of the main hall, there is also a throne of Panchen Lamas of all dynasties, which is also the place where Panchen Lamas preside over various religious activities.Above it hangs a number of thangkas depicting the life stories of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama in the past dynasties, which are vivid and lifelike.Walking out of the Tsochin Hall, passing through the bluestone corridor winding among the golden roof and red wall, I suddenly found that the murals of Zha Temple are very distinctive.Under each corridor, there are painted patterns of six reincarnations and eight auspicious treasures. The colors are bright and the paintings are exquisite. It is an artistic treasure at a glance.

The most famous Buddhist hall in Tashilhunpo Monastery is the Jamba Buddhist Hall.Inside is a 26-meter-high gold-plated bronze statue of Jampa Buddha (the future Buddha Maitreya).Standing in the hall and looking up at the kind and smiling face of Jampa Buddha sitting on the lotus throne, it seems that the suffering shrouded in front of all living beings can be stroked away with a wave of hands.The workmanship of such a huge Buddha statue is really exquisite, and the whole body is delicate and plump, just like a real person.Especially the huge cassock on his body, which is gorgeous in color and exquisite, making the whole hall shine.

Exterior view of Cuoran Hall in Tashilhunpo Monastery There are also two magnificent landscapes in Zha Temple, namely the two Panchen Lama Pagodas of "Zashin Nanjie" and "Shisong Nanjie". There are five silver pagodas enshrined in the hall of "Zashinanjie". The dharma bodies of the 1st to 4th Panchen Lamas are placed separately in the pagodas, and one of the largest pagodas is the joint burial tower of the 5th to 9th Panchen Lamas.Although these stupas are exquisite in shape, they are still inferior to the golden stupas of Dalai Lamas in the Potala Palace, showing the difference in status between Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas in Tibet. In the hall of "Shisong Nanjie" there is a stupa enshrining the body of the 10th Panchen Lama Erdeni Choji Gyaltsan.Different from the stupa in the "Tashi Nanjie Hall", the stupa of the 10th Panchen Lama is covered with gold foil, and the workmanship is very exquisite, and a large number of rare treasures are inlaid on it.It is said that the state allocated as much as 64 million yuan for the construction of this pagoda, which can be regarded as a compliment to the tenth Panchen Lama's life of patriotism and respect for religion.

Throughout the entire Tashilhunpo Monastery, although it has gone through more than five centuries, it still maintains a neat and lively momentum, brilliant colors, and a solemn atmosphere, unlike temples in other regions that are full of vicissitudes.In the monastery, groups of lamas can often be seen, making gestures that only they understand to each other, and conducting their religious activities - debating scriptures, which makes people feel that Tashilhunpo Monastery is always full of vitality.Shigatse is full of spirituality and divinity because of the Tashilhunpo Monastery.Come and go, but the impression of this city and everything in it will never fade.