On the way back from our incredible day at Everest Base Camp, we again spent the night in Shigatse, happy to find that the hot water had returned to the hotel, affording us a nice warm shower after some prolonged cold due to the high elevations. Though I really wanted to go back to the same restaurant for my yak noodle dish, we found another place nearby where I found a Nepalese curry with rice and vegetables, also a good option. The next morning we toured Tashilunpo Monastery, sitting on the base of a hill/mountain on the edge of town. Built in 1447, this was the largest monastery in Tibet, housing about 900 monks. It is also the center and burial grounds for the Panchen Lama, the Dalai Lama's less popular counterpart for Western Tibetan Buddhism. Inside this sprawling complex of houses, monks in their traditional red and yellow robes, and temples, we found a 26 meter (80 feet) Buddha, some tombs with up to 300 kilograms of gold and lots and lots of representations of the past, present and future Buddhas. This was probably the most impressive of all the monasteries, just for the sheer size of everything and variety of rooms and statues. David was glad to find out that it was also our last visit to a monastery.
(Two monks survey the scene outside one of the temples.)
(This is the traditional centerpiece on top of many monasteries. For one fleeting moment, I knew what all that represented.)
(I believe this is the tomb of the most recently passed Panchen Lama, #9, I think. Just below this area is an open courtyard where monks can often be seen debating theology and other beliefs.)
(Some locals sitting on the steps, getting ready to go drop bits of yak butter into the candles at the front of the temples, place their head on the sacred monuments and other Buddhist rites. You can tell what part of Tibet certain people are from based on their clothing. I'm not sure what area it is, but if you look closely, you can see the woman in the back left has very long hair, braided together with strands of orange hair, something that I saw a lot of in this area.)
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