Traveling to Tibet, how could you miss the “Eyes of Tibet” – the Jokhang Temple? This is undoubtedly a highly revered and popular tourist destination in Tibetan religious and cultural heritage! People often say, “First the Jokhang Temple, then the city of Lhasa.” If you come to Tibet and miss the Jokhang Temple, can you truly claim to have experienced the highlights of Tibetan tourism? Visitors to Tibet often seek a place to gaze at the Potala Palace from a distance and appreciate its beauty, and the Jokhang Temple is exactly the spot that fulfills this desire. It’s a place where you can capture some unique moments for your Tibet travel photos. Let’s explore it together!
The Jokhang Temple, located in the heart of the old city center of Lhasa, was originally built during the 7th century, in the era of the Tubo Dynasty. At that time, Songtsen Gampo, the Tubo king, married Princess Bhrikuti from Nepal and Princess Wencheng from the Tang Dynasty in China. Each princess brought a precious statue of Shakyamuni Buddha as their dowry. These two statues were among the earliest Buddhist images to enter the snowy plateau. To enshrine the statue brought from Kathmandu, a life-sized image of 8-year-old Shakyamuni Buddha, Songtsen Gampo built the Jokhang Temple. For the statue brought from Chang’an, a life-sized image of 12-year-old Shakyamuni Buddha, he constructed the Small Jokhang Temple.
As the center for significant Buddhist events in Tibet, the Jokhang Temple holds the highest and most revered position in Tibetan Buddhism.
The Jokhang Temple houses numerous Buddha statues, making it the most splendid surviving architectural relic from the Tubo period in Tibet. Devotees come here to worship, and it stands as the earliest extant example of Tibetan earth-rammed construction. This sacred hall serves as a place of worship for believers and represents the ideal model in Buddhism concerning the universe.