Do you know how Lhasa came into being?

Publish Time: 2015-07-23 Author: From: China Tibet Online

The center of Lhasa city

Surrounding the Jokhang Temple, which sits on the Barkhor Street is the center of Lhasa, which means the "Buddha's Place". The Jokhang Temple is the center of Tibetan people's lives in Lhasa. Their entire lives are built around the temple.

In ancient times, Lhasa was called Rasa". In Tibetan ra' means goat', and sa" means earth".

Legend has it that in the 7th century A.D.，when Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.), who married Songtsen Gampo, King of the Tubo Kingdom, first arrived in the Lhasaarea,which was nothing but a sandy and grassy plain.

In order to build the Jokhang and Ramoche monasteries, people had to carry earth on goats' backs to fill in the desolate beach. After the two monasteries were constructed, an increasing number of missionary monks and Buddhists came to Lhasa. Houses and hotels were built around the Jokhang Temple – that was the Old Town of the Lhasa city.

The Princess Wencheng and Princess Bhrikuti, Songtse Gampo's another wife from Nepal, each brought into Tibet a valuable statue of Shakayamuni Buddha to Tibet as their dowries. At that time, there were very few buildings in Lhasa, to say nothing of palaces, so the construction of the Ramoche Temple was to enshrine one of the statues.

The Nepalese princess brought an 8-year-old life-sized statue of Shakayamuni, while Princess Wencheng brought a 12-year-old life-sized statue of Shakayamuni, which were the first two Buddha statues brought into the snow-covered plateau. In order to consecrate the two valuable statues, Emperor Songtsen Gampo constructed the two earliest places in Tibetan history -the Jokhang Temple and Ramoche Temple.

The Princess Wencheng

The 12-year-old life-sized statue of Shakayamuni

The goat statues at the roof of the Jokhang Temple

The 12-year-old life-sized statue of Shakayamuni from the Tang Dynasty was believed to be exactly the same appearance as Shakayamuni. Tibetans believe that seeing the statue is the same as seeing the Buddha 2,500 years ago.

The arrival of the two life-sized statues in Tibet also marked the official introduction of Buddhism into Tibet.

It was said that there are only three life-sized statues of Shakyamuni in existence. When Shakyamuni Buddha was alive, he rejected idolatry and would not establish a Buddhist temple. Only on his deathbed did he agree to the creation of three statues of himself at different ages of life.

The painting shows Emperor Songtsen Gampo and Princess Wencheng

After the two princesses both passed away in the 8th century, Tride Tsugtsen, the 36th generation of Tubo Kingdom, married Princess Jincheng of the Tang Dynasty. Princess Jincheng built three white pagodas between the Red Hill and Mt. Chakporiin, which are known as Bagagalin"– that was the gate into Lhasa at that time.

The ancient Lhasa came into shape with the construction of the two temples, which were built for the two princesses. More importantly, the Buddha statues they brought into Tibet are of great significance to the city.

Although Lhasa was built in the warm Lhasa River valley area, it remains one of the most highly elevated cities in the world. People say it is the city of sunlight, simply because it is exposed to sunlight for an average of eight hours and 15 minutes every day.