Tibet Vacation Travel Video Guide

Tibet holyland center of the universe earth soul the heart of the world a relatively little-known and mysterious land of snow high up in the Himalayas bordering Nepal Bhutan and India protected by the highest mountains in the world this is a region that developed a unique society whose philosophy art religious faith has earned much interest and respect Lhasa the holy city and place of the gods the capital of Tibet and also its largest city a land that is now an autonomous region of China this is a sacred road that travels around the barco temple it serves as both a markers and gathering place for all kinds of vehicles the bark or road extends for 800 metres around the jokhang temple and nearby souk Lahan square for the faithful a visit to the jokin temple is the highlight of a long and arduous pilgrimage finally the pilgrims are close to their longed for destination outside the temples main entrance there are large numbers of pilgrims so another entrance is made available the Dalai Lama once sat in the inner courtyard during the monks annual final examination which is also a splendid festive event SOLAS your kin temple contains much decoration despite the speedy modernization of this village that has grown into a city it has managed to retain its timeless character picturesque inner courtyards a reminiscent of old picture books that feature the exotic world of the Tibet that was once almost totally unknown by the outside world in the north of the old town is another important temple Rama che built in the 7th century and destroyed several times by fire it has however been lovingly rebuilt this ancient place of culture contains an academy of the esoteric gal Luca sect as well as a higher Tantra institution that teaches Buddhist texts to the monks on our more than 50 monks live here it is also a pilgrimage destination a new building of traditional design the Tibet museum features numerous works of art from various epochs from prehistory right up until the time of the monarchy the history of Lhasa began in the seventh century when the 33rd Tibetan king song Sen Campo relocated here from yarlung Valley even then man had a good understanding of the world Chinese immigrants introduced their culture to this remote mountain world including the traditional evening market that is now very much a part of everyday life here the Jan hi evening market is situated in a large hall that contains several corridors the various shops are packed in quite tightly they boast a large variety of goods opposite potala and nestling on a rock walls a small and ancient cave sanctuary the palo cook temple steep steps lead up to the first level of the temple that was once used to calm down various rock and water deities who disturbed by the construction of the jaw can the pilgrims are mesmerized by the colorful sacred paintings the Lhasa River is one of the tributaries of Yarlung Tsangpo River it flows through both the city and colorful High Valley in the seventh month of the Tibetan calendar the Tibetans bathe here and wash their laundry it's believed that the water has a healing effect everything here is huge the square plus the train station at its platforms China made it possible a train journey to the roof of the world the qinghai a Express the travels from Peking to Lhasa this new railroad is one of the most ambitious projects of the People's Republic of China eleven hundred and twenty kilometers of railway track 286 bridges and the highest located train station in the world custom-built pressurised wagons guarantee a necessary supply of oxygen Tibet will derive much benefit from this railroad even though almost half the route travels through permafrost regions that are earthquake prone a special cultural highlight is the show theater happiness on the way with this review of the same name here age-old traditions are performed in the style of a Las Vegas show tube it's mystical history as performed with splendid costumes acrobatics and exotic music now it's harvest time the people are grateful finally they're able to harvest what they've sowed all their hard work has reached fruition with each new stage setting their joy increases a group of musicians joins the actors and the successful harvest is celebrated in both song and dance Tibetan monks move in total harmony in front of a huge buddha painting Balam back to reality on the other side of the shack poori a small mountain opposite potala is the seldom visited Sagna tong khoo temple hidden away and therefore off the tourist trail this temple of a thousand images of God is nevertheless very popular among devout Buddhists it is a place of silent prayer the outter pilgrims route around Lhasa heads past this temple hidden away from the hectic life of the city mighty and eternal the Potala looms up in the center of the city one of the most unique palaces in Asia long before the Dalai Lama's this palace mountain at its close surroundings served as the location for the residences of Tibet's monarchy there was subsequently a manifestation of the new power of the yellow academy that has right up until the present day lost nothing of its importance as a highly religious location those incarnated living gods who successes with a reincarnation of the same soul and the Potala is a symbol of this spiritual and worldly power outside Lhasa is a large park complex that measures 360 thousand square metres hidden beyond a white external wall is a splendid structure nor bullying car former summer residence of the Dalai Lama's there was once a Willow Grove here before a representative of the Chinese emperor of the Qing Dynasty ordered the construction of a palace for the seventh Dalai Lama it was later enlarged and given its present name it was built during the reign of the seventh Dalai Lama but it was the eighth Dalai Lama who's the first to live here this 18th century pavilion blends harmoniously into the landscape of the park and creates a wonderful atmosphere it's main entrance is decorated with several lion figures that highlight the majestic character of the building Darden me Jia was the seventh Dalai Lama's first palace the small complex is in excellent condition however it cannot conceal the sad historic fate of this beautifully situated summer residence the jeweled garden was abandoned in 1959 when the last Dalai Lama was forced into exile on the western edge of noir bullying car park is a building that dates back to the 20th century the palace of the 13th Dalai Lama the god-king gained much respect in the political world and thus brought about many reforms during his rule but there's one thing that he couldn't achieve although he brought independence to Tibet in 1912 it was not given international acclaim so norbulinka became a leisure park for the local population and oasis of relaxation in the environs of the city three large monasteries were one's important centers for the yellow cap sect drape on ganden and cellar in 1417 construction of the monastery began Jean Chen Xiu Jie a pupil of tsongkhapa chose this place that also had a number of Hermits caves in former times Tibet's shell and temple stood here a place in which monk soldiers and guards were educated sir are the earliest of the three monastery towns also possesses three academies and is a popular sightseeing destination the monks of Salah were well known for their quick thinking and the discussion garden is still used for emotional arguments that are accompanied by enthusiastic clapping more than 5,000 bucks once lived here today there are around 200 and the three academies still enjoy an excellent reputation in 1959 the several of the monks broke their vows and fought against the Chinese whereupon the Chinese army fired upon the monastery as many demonstrations for Tibet's independence begin here a visit to the monastery can sometimes be a little risky ten kilometers west of Lhasa is one of the most important monasteries in Tibet a pilgrimage trail leads up to drippin gamba that was built in 1416 by a follower of tsongkhapa's founder of the geocoder monasteries played an important role in the state system of Tibet following China's takeover of power of Tibet the drape on ceased as a center of government yes it is an historic place long before completion of lasses potala palace this monastery was the residence of the predecessor of the Dalai Lama in just a short time the monastery that was founded by Zhang Jiang Xiu Jie at the beginning of the fifteenth century grew into a small township of monks as the abbot's of draping were involved in the country's most important political decisions the monastery was often at the center of hostilities Mongolian Hungarian and cotton armies destroyed much of the monastery complex during the first part of the 17th century under the fifth Dalai Lama draping was enlarged many important spiritual leaders studied at one of the monasteries for faculties the monasteries large kitchen is well organized the number of monks declined following the Cultural Revolution once around 10,000 monks lived in draping today there are 500 in addition to the portraits of various dalai lama's the altar wall of the duke hung the central meeting hall of the faculty contains 1000 small tsongkhapa statues the political influence of the Abbott's continued until the 20th century but every now and then hostilities flare up when the 13th Dalai Lama attempted to banish the Han Chinese from Tibet open conflict broke out around sixty kilometers east of the city of Lhasa capital of Tibet and sit emitted the untouched mountain world of great Chu Valley is the town of dugsi that contains one of the country's most famous monasteries ganden gamba was once a prosperous monastery town however this historic Tibetan landmark was badly damaged when the Chinese took power and introduced the subsequent Cultural Revolution but despite the destruction ganden gamba is still a sacred destination and a very popular place of pilgrimage for many centuries this Templeton was the religious center of the yellow caps academy but the annexation of Tibet by China changed everything it's believed that the founder of both the monastery as well as the Gaelic academy Chong Kappa once taught here artistic mandalas circular symbolic images decorate many of Ganon's temple buildings some of the buildings are original while others have been renovated from the large assembly hall and the Chapel of the protective deities it is only a few steps to the tomb of the masteries founder Jean Kappa this is the most holy place in ganden gamba Oh a visit to the final resting place of this important spiritual teacher is the main aim of the pilgrims that have come to garden from near and far the santim of the monastry complex has an extraordinary atmosphere full of mystique following the cultural revolution the temples of the monastery town lay in ruins for many years prior to the gradual restoration of these historic buildings the holy throne of tsongkhapa is located between his tomb and also his former residence a small throne Hall that still contains a special atmosphere my god the Astoria ography of this famous monastery in the kiju Valley continues and even the local printing press is operational once more at a length of two thousand nine hundred kilometers the Tsangpo is one of the main rivers in Asia it has its source in the west of Tibet and in eastern India it flows into the Ganges in yarlung Valley the rivers broad and slow flowing and Nestle's between two mountain ranges when the snow melts the water level rises in eastern Tibet the Tsangpo River flows through the deepest canyons in the world and in a relatively short distance - sends from an altitude of more than 3000 metres a small road alongside the river travels through a fertile valley while sheep walk on the road we soon arrived at a simple building at the roadside that is a landing stage for numerous ferry boats suddenly a small boat appears the river was once an important trading and pilgrimage route now there are buses and pilgrims traverse the river by boat passengers are packed onto a small ferry boat and often entire families must patiently and courageously survive the 30-minute journey these pilgrimages are part of the ritualistic lifestyle of the Tibetan people sometimes they travel for several weeks from one monastery to another finally we approach the other side from where the passengers are transported to a remote and isolated location a unique sanctuary Samiha gamba the oldest monastery in tibet is one of the most important historic landmarks in yarlung valley of kings sami gamba was built at around seven hundred and seventy five ad a year that marked the beginning of buddhist monestary culture in tibet that has survived right up until the present day at the time when the monastery was founded the country was anything but peaceful hostilities between Buddhists and the followers of Tibet's bon religion were frequent a circular wall that contains 108 short ends surrounds the large monastery complex the entrances to the sanctuary were once positioned in all four directions of the compass the Samia monastery was designed strictly according to the Buddhist principles of the universe India's Temple of Otranto puri served as its model the main temple in the center of the monastery symbolizes the mystical mountain meadow that is surrounded by four temples each located in one of the four directions of the compass the Tibetan King wanted to create a brand new location of religious power and influence the introduction of buddhist monestary culture and the decline in the bond system of faith with its demonic beliefs gave tibetan society a new structure with the construction of the famous stelae and the Edict of Tucson debt sin in 7 7 9 ad Buddhism became Tibet's official state religion he was only following the symbolic overthrow of the older religion the construction of the Sami a monastery complex was completed despite its great age and dramatic history Sam Yi as an image of the universe is still one of the most beautiful and unique religious actors in Tibet I'm a precipitous newly constructed mountain road we leave the monastery and enjoy a final view across yarlung Valley birthplace of Tibetan culture here sheep also walk on the road that crosses the partly wooded River Valley the desert like riverbanks are left behind and are replaced by blossoming nature everywhere diligent farmers work in their fields the Tsangpo River is the region's lifeline and the changing seasons determine the daily life of these mountain people the beautiful River landscape almost hides the fact that we are in a high Valley at an altitude of several thousand meters the slow flowing river is a splendid sight it's source like many things on the roof of the world is a mystery although unconfirmed it most probably lies somewhere in the south of the Kailash in a tranquil side Valley the remains of a destroyed fortress can be seen from a distance a former royal residence from here the King's bridge leads to the valley of royal graves a remote region that was once forbidden to commoners it was here that the Kings were buried the tomb hill of Kings Bronson Campos the largest and most well-preserved steep steps lead to the plateau where there's another small temple the king both his wives and several ministers are worshipped here the main room of the sanctuary is decorated with wall paintings Buddha's and protective deities from here various Hill tombs can be seen that have been covered by stones it is said that up to 16 monix were buried here sacred columns mark the area in the grave chambers the body of the king was covered with golden dust and laid out in a silver coffin clothing various treasures horses and five to six men were sacrificed from the Tsangpo River Valley a new mountain road snakes its way up to Campbell our paths the journey on the winding Mountain Road is a highlight for everyone that visits tab it and everyone must wait for the occasional yak to cross the road for shepherds it's difficult to herd large numbers of sheep on the steep slopes that flank the road it requires much experience and constant vigilance after each Bend we expect to see the mountain pass but instead the road continues to go higher and higher almost to the sky finally prayer banners and stone mounds greeters Plus souvenir sellers lovable yaks that like to pose for the camera and outstanding views situated between snow-covered mountains is Tibet's third largest lake yum Drock so this is holy lake and lies at an altitude of four thousand four hundred and eighty two meters it shines out in an almost surreal turquoise it's beauty and the fact that it's easily accessible make it popular with sightseers the yaks patiently endure the noise as well as the photo session of the mainly Chinese tourists on the way down to the valley we discover the overgrown remains of various ancient settlements the yarlung Valley is full of history such as possessing the oldest field in Tibet and the oldest village that is located at the foot of the country's oldest fortress yon baruk on the rock palace of the country's first mystic king horses camels and yaks await those for whom the steep route up to the fortress is a little much the Hardy creatures transport them right up to the entrance gate King Nia treats and posed was the founder of the Yarlung dynasty and in 200 BC he had this fortress built on a mountain ridge the fortress was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution but in 1982 it was faithfully rebuilt and has now to be seen in all its original glory the strategic location of this building was extremely favorable because from here the entire yarlung Valley could be observed according to Tibetan mythology a foreigner was travelling down a mountain when he encountered some Shepherds they asked him from where he'd calm and he pointed at the sky thus the shepherds thought that he'd come from heaven and gave him the name the art treat zenpo and his six successes were also given divine ancestry from those monarchs who became famous as the seven heavenly kings it is said that during the day they lived on earth and at night they went to heaven viii successor was also of heavenly origin but during an arrogant exchange with his subjects his connection with heaven was severed that each of the subsequent Kings were forced to remain on earth forever close by is one of the first buddhist temple complexes in tibet Thanh truc a small replica of the jokhang in Lhasa well preserved colorful Buddha reliefs decorate the monastery walls that were built on this site at the command of the wives of Swanson gamble - inner courtyards leads the main meeting hall originally there were 21 temple rooms after the heavenly Kings followed the religion Kings the most famous of whom was shrunken Campeau who ruled for 29 years his rule was an ideal time for Buddhism and his wives did much to spread the new religion although for many years this religion was only for the elite Swanson Campo was thought of as a wise diplomat and brave military leader he was also known for his domestic reforms the king introduced the Tibetan calendar measurements and weight as well as scripture for which he sent one of his ministers to Kashmir to develop during his long reign the creation of the country's first infrastructure began and simple roads bridges and canals made remote parts of the country more accessible the king relocated the capital from the yarlung Valley to around a hundred kilometers northwest to the valley of the kichu where the city of Lhasa originated but back to the tantric monastery it is said to have been one of eleven monasteries that were designed to guard a female demon according to legend the entire area was at that time covered by a large lake a hostile dragon known in Tibetan as tantric lived here and frightened everyone with its five heads each of which had a different color it is believed that a great lama succeeded the Beast and the king ordered that the lake be drained his Chinese wife calculated eleven points that eventually restrained the Dragons demon thus this landscape remained at peace see Dan is the capital of Shannon province at an altitude of 3400 meters this the country's third-largest city has a population of 20,000 the traffic junction in the so-called southern area that extends to the bordering Himalayan countries has brought all kinds of traffic problems of this remote area the city is quite commercial and attracts many young people Western values have found their way into the town and this is gradually transforming thousands of years of age old tradition everything is motorized people transport goods and repair them from early mornings until late at night and modern buildings have changed the city's appearance everyone has an eye for business this city is an example of the fast changing pace of life and modernization that is taking place in this region the heritage of this ancient culture will soon be a thing of the past our journey continues on the only road that travels to the west of the country there are two more impressive destinations that we plan to visit places where two bits rich heritage is still very much alive and well past snow-covered mountains and through narrow gorges where the Tsangpo River powerfully carved its path a new road winds through this extraordinary high mountain landscape for the clouds that have come here from the Indian subcontinent these mountains form an almost insurmountable obstacle this brings North India Nepal Sikkim and Bhutan much rainfall is a relatively temperate climate Oh the road frequently crosses the river it was adapted to fit in with a natural terrain suddenly we arrived at a desert-like landscape that we must cross on our journey to Ganci thousands of years of erosion has transformed the stone into sand suhara style sand use quite a surprise when considering the several thousand meters of altitude little by little the geology becomes obvious and it seems there's no difference between the Sahara and the central Tibetan high plateau proud and mighty song the fortress of the former monarch of this region rises above Yangtze the third largest city of Tibet this fortress once accommodated the governor of the district and was the region's administrative centre despite certain obligations the song monarch was relatively independent and was permitted to rule this region and its inhabitants the special importance of this fortification is also indicated by its name that means highest royal fortress the view from song extends far across the old town of Yancey and the nearby monastery district of palcohol chedi the surrounding mountains form of dramatic backdrop part of the old town in the east of the Yangtze contains many old farm buildings that have retained their original rural character right up to the present day the people here live in humble conditions the picturesque lanes of the town give a very real impression that time has Stood Still a rural idyll dominates the streets of the old town compared to the song fortress the monastry complex of pal court Shetty is at total odds yet this contrast adds to the splendour of Yangtze only a handful of buildings serve to remind of the golden days of Tibet's monasteries in Yangtze several of them have been destroyed the dramatic and cruel images in the LA can the room of the protective deities in souk Lacan's main hall a quite unusual in lama east iconography sooo blockin the main meeting hall for each of the monastic communities of palco Chile dates back to fourteen eighteen numerous protective deities create a mystic atmosphere and the halls abundant furnishings make it even more intense one of the largest monuments in Tibetan architecture is the unique combination it is a three dimensional mandala that can be entered is decorate the upper part of the stupa the ritual walkabout begins on the lowest level with simple deities then follows the entire pantheon of Tibet immortalized in both sculptures and wall paintings both the original and restored secret works of art are located in various shrines within the nine-story Khumbu a total of 68 chapels are situated within the first 4 storeys of the wall and each is furnished with impressive sacred treasures and deities the influence of Nepal is not only indicated by the actual wall paintings the sanctuary itself was designed by a Nepalese architect the uppermost room of the 32 meter high sanctuary is dedicated to RD Buddha in Buddhist doctrine the genesis of all living beings and even from the roof there are the all-seeing eyes of Buddha that protect the welfare of the faithful with its population of 45,000 the city of shigatse is not only Tibet second largest city an administrative center for the south of the country it also boasts one of the most beautiful monastery districts in the Himalayas tashilunpo monastery or the mountain of blessing is situated at the western end of the city that lies at an altitude of 3,900 metres above sea level and according to legend was founded by a hunter that tashilunpo is today the monastery with the most religious activity in Tibet is indicated by the many pilgrims that come here this traditional Buddhist monastery is closely associated with the second most important spiritual heads of Tibet the panchen lamas this is also the location of many magnificent tombs of previous panchen lamas get and up a nephew and follower of the famous song capaz laid the foundation stone of this monastery that is still in use today and made history as being the residence of the panchen lamas yet sang province was then in the hands of the non reformed buddhist sect of Redcaps that was at the heart of constant hostility the influence of the red caps in shigatse came to an end with a takeover of power of the fifth dalai lama in the 17th century however 1791 brought some misfortune never Li's Gurkha troops penetrated sang province and also Tashi Lumpur the monastery complex was plundered by Gurkha soldiers and was partly destroyed Chinese troops pushed back the invaders following the death of a panchen lama the abbot's had the responsibility of searching for his incarnation and appointing a successor according to the records of Sven Hayden a well-known Swedish geographer and Discoverer almost four thousand monks lived here at the beginning of the 20th century with the annexation of Tibet by China in 1959 the monastery experienced further disarray most of the months were forced to flee abroad fortunately China's Cultural Revolution caused the building's little damage unlike that of other Tibetan monasteries done yeah the Sioux clan Han of tashilunpo was built on a special site that of an ancient and sacred burial place as in other monastery complexes in Tibet this one also contained four faculties and the influence of the Panchen Lama increased and extended to 500 smaller monasteries including some in both Beijing and Jiang Dee despite the severe political climate of the recent past the significance of this monastery for the Tibetan people remains just as strong today as it has always been she got see and the mountain of blessing the historic tosh.olympiad stre will no doubt attract great hoards of pilgrims for many years to come despite Chinese influence Tibet is still a religiously devout country with a fascinating monastery culture and amazing natural scenery Tashi Delek happiness and blessings on the roof of the world one as always close to the gods

Channel: Expoza Travel

Views: 441,332

Rating: 4.7323136 out of 5

Keywords: Destination, documentary, trip, tavel, guides, visit, Summer, world, Tourism (Interest), tour, discovery, highlights, Asia (Continent), yt:stretch=16:9, expoza, Travel Channel (TV Network), channel, travel, vacation, arcadiaentertainment, cityguide, guided, Survival, adventure, Video, tips, Culture, essentials, Tourism (Industry), holiday, video, Nature, Adventure, videos, travelguide, guide, Tibet (Location)

Id: EJc7LI9Xbcg

Length: 51min 33sec (3093 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 14 2013