.
Founded in 1447 at Shigatse by a disciple of Tsong-kapa
(1357-1419), the monastery has a 15th century assembly hall containing the
throne of the Panchen Lama. Between 1642-59 the Abbot of Tashilhunpo Monastery
received from the Fifth Dalai Lama the title of Panchen Lama or "great
scholar."
Its name signifying "mass of glory," and closely associated with the Gelugpa Order, Tashilhunpo has remained the headquarters of the Panchen Lama since the 17th century. During the Manchu Qing dynasty (1644-1912), Chinese backed the Panchen Lama against the Dalai Lama, a political strategy that has been repeated in the recent past.
The monastery, one of the largest left intact in Tibet and one of the few not damaged during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, includes dozens of chapels, tombs, and shrines with Buddhist images, which the visitor may see on tours today.
.
[Fig.1: Tomb in the monastery at Tashilhunpo, from a mid-19th century account of Tibet (Huc 1852).]
.
.
Athena Review Image Archive™ | Guide to Archaeology on the Internet | free trial issue | subscribe | back issues
Main
index of Athena Review |
Subject Index
| Travel
Pages |
Galleries and
Museums |
Copyright © 1996-2003 Athena Publications, Inc. (All Rights Reserved).