Monday, April 23, 2007

Which is Rice Granary Monastery???


Drepung Monastery Main Facade.
Originally uploaded by lh tanG.
Drepung Monastery, a majestic complex skirted on three sides by mountains 10km from Lhasa's west suburbs, came under construction during the Yongle reign of the Ming and is the largest temple of Tibet which served as the mansion of the Dalai Lamas. The buildings, whitewashed and scattered over an area of 250,000 sqm, look like a pile of white rice-bags in the distance. Hence the name, "Drepung", meaning "rice granary". The prayer hall is propped up with 183 pillars, and the entire place looks like a mountain city, where traffic is facilitated through a web of lanes and alleyways. In 1982 Drepung was designated as a national cultural site under state protection.


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