Ramoche Monastery
( 2005-10-27 )

The Ramoche Monastery, Xiao Zhao Si in Chinese, is situated in the northwest ofLhasa, covering a total area of 4,000 square meters. Thistempleis one of the key cultural relic protection sites of Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region as well as a hot attraction in Lhasa.

The original building complex has a strong Tang (Han) architecture flavor, for it was first built by Chinese Han architects in the middle of the 7th century during theTang Dynasty(618-907), when Tang Princess Wencheng took charge of the project and ordered the temple be erected facing east to show her homesickness.

The Ramoche Monastery fell into ruins and went through many reconstructions -- only the Buddha palace on the first floor is left in its original state. The present temple is the result of the large restoration in 1986.

The main building in the temple has three stories. The first story includes an atrium, a scripture hall, and a Buddha palace with winding corridors. The third story was the bedroom once reserved for the Dalai Lama. Upon entering the main building, one can see the ten pillars holding some of the remaining Tibetan relics such as the encased lotus flowers, coiling cloud, jewelry, and particular Tibetan characters. The golden peak of the monastery with the Han-style upturned eave can be seen from any direction in Lhasa City. Needless to say, the temple is a wonderful example of the combination of Han and Tibetan architectural styles.

One of the temple's prized artifacts is the life-sized statue of the 12-year-old Sakyamuni, which Princess Wencheng brought from the capital Chang'an (today's Xian in North China'sShaanxi Province) of the Tang Dynasty. As one of the precious cultural relics of Tibet, the statue is now placed in the Jokhang Temple, 500 meters south of the Ramoche Monastery. Residing within the Ramoche Monastery is the life-sized statue of the 8-year-old Sakyamuni, which was brought into Tibet by the Nepalese Princess Khridzun, and is regarded as the greatest saint in the Ramoche Monastery.

Nowadays, the temple has become the very place for the Tibetan monks to study Mi Zong (a Buddhist sect).