Shigatse
Tashilunpo Monastery
The Tashilhunpo Monastery, the biggest Gelugpa monastery in the Tsang regions of Tibet, sprawls on the slope of Mt. Niser, south-west of Shigatse. It covers an area of about 300,000 square meters with a floor space of about 30,000 square meters. Painted in red and white' the buildings in the monastery stand closely together in terraced rows, offering a grand and majestic view. The monastery was founded in 1447 by Gendun Zhuba, one of the principal disciples of the Founder of the Yellow Sect Zongkaba, and was then enlarged consistently by different generations of Panchen Lama until it acquired its present dimensions. Gendun Zhuba was first abbot of the monastery, and in 1600 at the invitation of the monastery, the 4th Panchen Lama became the 16th abbot of it, thus made the monastery abode of the succeeding Panchen Lamas ever since. The Ngagpa College (Tantric College), one of its four monastic colleges, was the residence of the Panchen Lamas, the most amazing image in this monastery is the statue of giant Maitreya (Future Buddha) erected by the 9th Panchen Lama in 1914, and took four years for its establishment. This giant statue stands twenty-six metres in height and 275kg in weight of solid gold, great quantity of precious things such as pearls, turquoises, corals and ambers have absolved for its construction. The 4th Panchen Lama's funeral stupa was built in 1662 and it stands eleven metres high and is covered with solid gold and silver. There are many other valuable and rare historical articles in the monastery, among them are found a lot of gold and jade signets, and imperial certificates bestowed by Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties as well as a seal of"Daitu" of the Yuan Dynasty scribed in the new Mongolian language reformed by Basba. They are of great value for the study of history.
Sakya Monastery-an Art Gallery
The Sakya Monastery located in Sakya County, stands in the southem and the northern, two parts on either side of Dongchu River.This monastery is the centre of the Sakyapa Sect (White Earth Order). The construction of the monastery was started in 1073 by Kung GungQuijiepuo with the order from basba. The southern founded in 1268 by a famous abbot of Sakya named Pagpa who once had ruled the whole of Tibet under the Yuan Dynasty's supervision. So it is of typical Yuan Dynasty style resembling powder or cinnabar. It has over 10,000 volumes of tibetan books on astronomy, medicine, calligraphy, and history. Owing to its valuable and voluminous amount of Buddhist sutras and cultural remains, the Sakya Monastery is often considered as the "Dunhuang the Second".
Shalu Monastery
The Shalu Monastery is situated in Rikuozuo within the Shalu village.The construction was started in 1000 by Jestun Sherab Jungne. Its architecture is of typical combination of the Tibetan and Chinese styles with the archways, carved pillars, tiled roofs and the Song and Yuan style murals, a rare and unique work of art, mixed feature of Tibetan and Han. Besides the various sorts of statues of Buddha, The monastery enshrines various relics such as religious objects,Buddhist scriptures written on "pattra" leaves, and an important decree of Pagpa, the Sakya abbot. It also has 4 treasures to be enshrined. The first is a scripture printing board carved out of sandal wood. The second is a copper jar to contain holy water. It is said that the water is changed every other 12 years, but the quantity and quality of the water do not change even ifit has been in the jar for 12 years. The third is a stone basin which is said to be used by Shaja Banzhida. The fourth is a stone Board with the 6-character principle engraved on it. On the 4 comers of the board are also engraved four clarit pagodas. It is said that when the construction first started, the board was unearthed.
Mt. Everest
Qomolangma meaning "Goddess" in Tibetan, is the highest mountain on earth with an altitude of 8, 848.13 metres. Mtl Qomolangma,known to the western world as Mt. Everest, stands at the south of Tingri county in southern Tibet, at the border of the central Himalayas, between China and Nepal, capped with accumulated eternal snow. Its snow peak sends out silver radiance year after year. Its waist is hidden in the clouds. The optimum weather to visit Mt. Everest is from April to June, a golden period for mountaineers. Each year, a great number of brave robust mountaineers come from all over the world to visit and climb Mt. Everest,hope to fulfill a life-long wish by climbing onto and looking over from the world's highest peak,
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