Trips

       We had two hours to rest at the hotel before we went to tour the Jokhang Temple.  We again had to go through security screening to enter the square.  The temple is one of the oldest (647 CE) and holiest temples among Buddhists.  Because today was a Buddhist festival day, some of the 120 yellow-clad monks who live at Jokhang were chanting in one of the large reception rooms, pilgrims were giving them offerings, and some monks were repainting the unclothed Sakyamuni Buddha with gold paint.  Outside of the temple are huge prayer poles covered with prayer flags and two large incense burners. Because of the festival day there were many people prostrating themselves in front of the temple.  They will stand, kneel, and lie flat 1 or 2 thousand times!  Other people were walking around the temple with beads and spinners.  They walk the circuit at least 3 times. 
        The smell of incense was so strong we were happy to go to the roof and look down at the religious walking three times clockwise around the temple.  Most of them had prayer beads and prayer wheels.  We also had a view of the Potala Palace from the rooftop.

Nice sign	Dinner restaurant
Lamp post outside the Jokhang Monastery complex	Prayer pole in front of the Jokhang Temple
Incense burner	Jokhang Temple facade
	Monk prostrating
A family photo	Repair work
Jokhang Temple	Potala Palace from the roof of the Jokhang Temple
Manhole cover	Yangki and school kids
School kids	School's out
Post office	Nice Bud sign
Especially like the no horn blowing sign	More interesting signs
Thurs., 10/9/14 – Lhasa, Tibet             This morning we went to a Tibetan carpet showroom with a demonstration room showing how 2,000 workers at a local factory hand weave the carpets of yak wool, sheep wool, and silk. In the lobby were Chinese bells on which we could hammer a tune and a large prayer wheel, which we walked around three times clockwise reciting Om Mani Padme Hum, the Tibetan Buddhist mantra.  In the demonstration room we learned that the caret wool is dyed with natural plant and mineral dyes, and the carpet is preserved in five processes.  Ginger is used to kill any bacteria, moss makes the surface smooth, rhododendron makes it not smell, chrysanthemum makes it not shrink, and expensive saffron makes it waterproof.  In the showroom were many very expensive and beautiful carpets of all sizes.              The shop also sold many beaded pieces of jewelry.  Gale bought a sky bead or eye bead necklace.  The local fossil stone is oblong and has three “eyes,” which stand for health, wealth, and happiness.
Large prayer wheel at the carpet showroom	Chinese bells
Prayer flags at the carpet showroom	Carpet weaving
Dyes	This is the only history museum in Tibet.   We toured the Paleolithic period of Stone Age Tibet.  It is amazing how similar the tools and houses were to those of the US Southwest, including petroglyphs.  We were interested in the cultural exhibits from the 7th c. and the 33rd king, Songtsen Gampo and the 5th and 8th Dalai lamas.  There were the seals of these individuals - seals are the stamps they used to sign official documents and are still used in place of signatures in China; drama masks; musical instruments (vertical and horizontal flutes, 2, 4, and 6 stringed fiddles, and “trombones” that look like Alpine horns and are still used by monks today); and various shaped drums; astrological calendars; medicine Thangkas (writings and pictures on silk hangings) of acupuncture lines and points, disease and diagnoses and cures; medical instruments and uses.
Adjoining building	Museum entrance
Foyer	Raksasi - Tibetan creation story
Tibetan musical instruments	Medical Thangka (a thangka is a painting of cotton or silk applique)

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