A Piece of Tibet
Shangri La | China
The Ganden Sumtsenling Monastery or the Songzanlin Monastery in Shangri-La is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple complex in Yunnan Province.
Built at the foot of Foping Mountain, the Monastery is a faithful imitation of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, hence called Little Potala Palace. Its big collection of Tibetan Buddhist treasures and cultural relics include gilded statues of Sakyamuni, palm-leaf scripts, thangka (religious tapestries), and golden lamps. The Monastery is reputed as a ‘Tibetan Art Museum’.
It was originally built in 1679 as a small temple and finished in 1681. In the early Qing Dynasty, the Fifth Dalai Lama decided to establish the monastery in Zhongdian to ease the people of their pain. The monastery housed 2,000 monks in its prime. Now about 700 monks live there or around it.
The main hall of the monastery features 108 imposing pillars and on both the left and the right sides of the hall are wonderful frescos, depicting Buddhist tales and legends. More than 1600 monks can sit to chant and meditate in the hall. The halls are lit with incense and yak butter oil lamps. The altars are permanently decorated with yak butter flower sculptures. The walls are painted with exquisite murals in each hall. This was one of the murals in the temple which struck me.
Limited Edition
AVAILABLE SIZES:
12 x 12 inches
24 x 24 inches
Shangri La | China
The Ganden Sumtsenling Monastery or the Songzanlin Monastery in Shangri-La is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple complex in Yunnan Province.
Built at the foot of Foping Mountain, the Monastery is a faithful imitation of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, hence called Little Potala Palace. Its big collection of Tibetan Buddhist treasures and cultural relics include gilded statues of Sakyamuni, palm-leaf scripts, thangka (religious tapestries), and golden lamps. The Monastery is reputed as a ‘Tibetan Art Museum’.
It was originally built in 1679 as a small temple and finished in 1681. In the early Qing Dynasty, the Fifth Dalai Lama decided to establish the monastery in Zhongdian to ease the people of their pain. The monastery housed 2,000 monks in its prime. Now about 700 monks live there or around it.
The main hall of the monastery features 108 imposing pillars and on both the left and the right sides of the hall are wonderful frescos, depicting Buddhist tales and legends. More than 1600 monks can sit to chant and meditate in the hall. The halls are lit with incense and yak butter oil lamps. The altars are permanently decorated with yak butter flower sculptures. The walls are painted with exquisite murals in each hall. This was one of the murals in the temple which struck me.
Limited Edition
AVAILABLE SIZES:
12 x 12 inches
24 x 24 inches
Shangri La | China
The Ganden Sumtsenling Monastery or the Songzanlin Monastery in Shangri-La is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple complex in Yunnan Province.
Built at the foot of Foping Mountain, the Monastery is a faithful imitation of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, hence called Little Potala Palace. Its big collection of Tibetan Buddhist treasures and cultural relics include gilded statues of Sakyamuni, palm-leaf scripts, thangka (religious tapestries), and golden lamps. The Monastery is reputed as a ‘Tibetan Art Museum’.
It was originally built in 1679 as a small temple and finished in 1681. In the early Qing Dynasty, the Fifth Dalai Lama decided to establish the monastery in Zhongdian to ease the people of their pain. The monastery housed 2,000 monks in its prime. Now about 700 monks live there or around it.
The main hall of the monastery features 108 imposing pillars and on both the left and the right sides of the hall are wonderful frescos, depicting Buddhist tales and legends. More than 1600 monks can sit to chant and meditate in the hall. The halls are lit with incense and yak butter oil lamps. The altars are permanently decorated with yak butter flower sculptures. The walls are painted with exquisite murals in each hall. This was one of the murals in the temple which struck me.
Limited Edition
AVAILABLE SIZES:
12 x 12 inches
24 x 24 inches