(大昭寺)

Jokhang Temple(大昭寺)

Hello，everyone!Welcome to Jokhang Temple! It is a must see during your tour of Lhasa，because this temple has long been eulogized as“the holiest of all temples”.Here the life-size gilt statue of Jowo Sakyamuni，brought to Tibet at the age of 12 by Princess Wencheng，is niched in the main hall.

History

“Jokhang”，in the Tibetan vernacular，means“the temple of Jowo Sakyamuni”.It is believed that King Songtsen Gampo's Nepalese Princess Bhrikuti had wanted a temple to be built for the holy purpose of enshrining the Buddha's statue.There is an interesting legend regarding the temple's present location.It is said a body of water used to be here.Princess Wencheng used Chinese Yin-Yang Astrology in fortune-telling to discover that this water was really a hag's heart，whose evils could be suppressed by having a temple erected over it.Thus，Songtsen Gampo，to fulfill her wish，decreed that a temple should be built at this location and it was completed in 647，during the 21^st year of the Tang Dynasty Zhenguan Period.However，in later dynasties，particularly in the Fifth Dalai Lama's reign，much expansion and renovation was done on the temple.This work increased the temple's size to its present area of 25，100 square meters.More than 20 palaces proudly stand here，and they can accommodate thousands of pilgrims coming here to participate in religious ceremonies.

All throughout its 1，300 years' history，the Jokhang Temple has been a holy place for Buddhists.Huge numbers of pilgrims clad in white scarves(Hada) have come here great distances to worship deities and hum sacred mantras to obtain blessings.Every year the spectacular Great Prayer Festival，which was inaugurated in 1409，is held on the third day of the first month on the Zang calendar in the temple.Another grand ceremony is the rites of Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama's initiation into Lama hood.

On the square in front of the temple stands a stelewhich records an alliance between the king of Tibet and the emperor of the Tang Dynasty(618–907 A.D.)，an extremely important historical event，and willow trees，believed to have been planted by King Songtsen Gampo and Princess Wencheng.These trees have been turning green year after year，as if to bear witness to this royal couple's glory.The temple's interior remains in good condition and contains many invaluable cultural relics.One is the previously mentioned statue of the Buddha.This statue is flanked by altars dedicated to Songtsen Gampo，Princess Wencheng，and Bhrikuti，who introduced Buddhism into Tibet.Another must see sight is the nearly 1，000 meters of murals rendered in the Tibetan style.These murals depict Princess Wencheng's arrival in Tibet，detail how the Jokhang Temple was built，and portray Jataka stories.Two perfectly preserved thangkas portraying Yamantaka and Chakrasamvara are fine representatives of the high level of craftsmanship attained in Ming Dynasty(1368-1644 A.D.) embroidery.And many other rare valuables，bespeaking the splendor of Tibetan history，are also on display here.

Architectural Features

The Jokhang's architecture is distinguished by an accomplished combination of Han，Tibetan and Nepalese styles.The temple is a four stories high giant complex，crowned with a gilt top，and its basic structure is a bow-bracketed frame，while its turrets and sculptured crossbeams feature a Tibetan style.Mingled into the general tone of the Tang Dynasty(618–907 A.D.) are outlandish wooden carved prostrate beasts and 103 sphinxes located under the second and third eaves of the main hall，which are emblematic of Nepalese or Indian fashion.Some 20 large columns stand in the main hall，whose supporting crossbeams are decorated with swans and elephants in relief，exquisite and lifelike to the eye.In addition to its religious significance，this temple complex is the earliest practical and aesthetic exemplar of Tibetan wood structure buildings.

As one of Buddhism's most holy shrine，the Jokhang Temple is highly esteemed beyond Tibet; large masses of worshipers and visitors from outside Tibet have been coming here every day.

各位朋友，大家好!欢迎光临大昭寺!来到拉萨而不一睹大昭寺的风采，那将是终生的遗憾，因为大昭寺是“圣地中的圣地”，是供奉释迦牟尼金像的佛地。

历史

藏语称大昭寺为“觉康”，即“释迦牟尼之寺”。大昭寺始建于公元647年，相传是松赞干布为迎文成公主进藏而修建。原址为一片湖水，文成公主施用阴阳之术，测出此湖为魔女之心所在。为驱魔祈福，松赞干布填湖造寺，三年建成。后经历代修葺扩建，规模宏大，气势壮伟。大昭寺占地2.51万平方米，殿堂20余处，可容数万僧人做法事。

大昭寺建成至今，一直是西藏佛教的圣地，法事活动的中心，僧人和信众顶礼膜拜的大庙名刹。1409年，黄教祖师宗喀巴创立拉萨大法会，此后经五世达赖扩充其规模，并定立每年藏历正月初三至廿五日为大法会期，朝拜者如云，使大昭寺成为名副其实的黄教的“根本道场”，佛名远播。

在大昭寺前，作为重大历史事件的见证，立着“唐蕃会盟”碑，而松赞干布与文成公主合植的唐柳依然垂绿，令游人不禁遐想当年盛况。大昭寺内藏有珍稀文物，璀璨夺目。主殿供奉着释迦牟尼12岁时的等身镏金像，栩栩如生;配殿上伫立着松赞干布、文成公主和尼泊尔尺尊公主等塑像;墙上的藏式壁画长近千米，一幅为《文成公主进藏图》，另一幅是《大昭寺修建图》;寺内有两幅明代的刺绣护法唐卡，一为《胜乐金刚》，一为《大威德金刚》，是藏传佛教格鲁派所膜拜的密宗佛中的两尊，绣工精美，虽经数百年岁月磨砺，至今色彩明艳，画面完好无损，实为稀世艺术珍品。

建筑特色

大昭寺的建筑风格也独树一帜，融汉、藏、尼泊尔、印度风格为一体，于宏伟中见精细，粗犷里显雕琢。殿高四层，金顶临空，汉式斗拱为整体基调，碉楼、雕梁为西藏特色，而主殿二、三层檐下103具木雕伏兽和人面狮身依序而列，呈尼泊尔和印度异国情调。正殿有20根大木柱，斗拱架梁，饰有天鹅、白象等浮雕，精致而生动。作为西藏历史上最早的土木结构建筑，大昭寺创立了藏式平川式的寺庙布局典范，具有很高的审美价值。

千年大昭寺不愧为藏传佛教的最高殿堂，将密宗理义关于宇宙的理想模式--坛城(曼陀罗)再现于气势恢弘的建筑群中，成为虔诚的信徒们的灵魂寄托之处。