TIBET

brianwagner.com/pages/China/PotalaPalace/..
• Tibet sits on the highest plateau in the world, at an average of 12,000 -
14,000 feet.
• Tibet’s high plains, forests and mountains form a unique ecosystem on the
planet and are home to an array of rare wildlife, including the snow
leopard, blue sheep and Tibetan wild ass.
Borders:

India - south and west

Nepal and Bhutan - south

and

China - north and east

Western Tibet

Eastern Tibet

Central Tibet
• Situated in the Himalayas

Five of Asia’s great

rivers including:
• Indus
• Mekong
• Brahmaputra
Mount Kailash - third and sacred mountain pilgrimage site of Hindu and Bonpo
as well as Tibetan
PERMAFROST - permanently
frozen soil, sediment, or
rock, solely based on
temperature, not moisture or
ground cover. The ground must
remain at or below 0°C for at least
two years.
Stylistic Sources of Art and Architecture

1. INDIAN Art : 11th - 14th

2. NEPALESE Art : 14th -16th
3. CHINESE Ming schools - 15th onwards
Buddhism - introduced in
towards the end of the 8th c
when King Trisong
Detsen, invited two Buddhist
masters from India.

Tibetan Buddhism combined

the original, or Mahayanist
practices with
yoga, tantra, shamanic
rituals and elements of an
older Tibetan religion known
as Bon.
Annual Buddhism dancing festival at the Labrang Temple in Xiahe County, northwest China's
Gansu Province, Feb. 8, 2009.
Monks of the Labrang Temple belonging to the Tibetan Buddhism's Geru Sect perform
religionary dance on Sunday to pray for peace and happiness.
 Prayer flags - Lung-ta, or "Windhorse“ - horse which is both the subduer
of evil & the vehicle of enlightenment.

One roll of 25 flags strung together showing five traditional

designs, each five times. The five colors have many meanings in
Tibetan Buddhism - five directions, the five physical elements, the
five wisdoms, the five meditation Buddhas, the five mental
attributes, or the five realms of existence with blue sky, white
cloud, red fire, green water, and yellow earth.
 Prayer Flags at Namtso,
5,190 meter high Lakenla
Pass on the way to Namtso
Lake.

Found strung along

mountain ridge and
peaks, to sanctify the
surrounding geography.
http://phyang.org/photo/tibet.htm

Prayer flags are also hoisted on special occasions such as the

marriage, new business, new year, childbirth and before opening most
important work as it , bring good luck and prosperity.
http://architecture.desktopnexus.com/wallpaper/128536/

Buddhist Temple, Lhasa, Tibet

Chorten (Tibetan stupa)
The Buddha Śākyamuni (Wangdrak) with structural grid (tigse)
(Jackson, David & Janice. 1984. Tibetan thangka painting: methods and materials. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca, NY)
Great Stupa at Sanchi, India

Chorten or Tibetan stupa

• Dome is smaller and the spire is
more prominent .
Dagoba or stupa from Sri Lanka
Chorten (Tibetan) or Stupa (Hindi)

1. Square foundation - symbolizing

the earth
2. Dome - symbolizing water
3. 13 tapering steps of
enlightenment - symbolizing the
element of fire.
• Steps lead to a stylized
parasol - the symbol of
wind, which is topped in the
ethereal sphere by the well-
known ‘twin-symbol’
uniting sun and
moon, which is the
shimmering crown of the
Chorten.”
Courtesy buddhanet.net
Eight different kind stupas, all referring to major events in
Buddha Shakyamuni’s life.
BUILDING CHARACTER

1. ORGANIC DESIGN to compliment

the natural surroundings.

2. Use of natural materials - stone,

clay, and wood.

3. Ranging from one to three stories

in height.

4. ROOFING

• Flat roofs with parapets – in

central and western Tibetan
plateau with seldom rain.

• Sloping roofs covered either

in slate, shingles, or ceramic
tile.
 BUILDING CHARACTER

5. Symmetrical in lay-out and façade design.

6. WALLS

• Use of stone or rammed earth may be up to a meter thick at the

base.

• Temples and manor houses - slightly trapezoidal form, heavy at

the bottom (stone foundations) and light at the top, generally with
battered walls

sloping inward to create

an illusion of height.
BUILDING CHARACTER

7. Windows are usually small because the

walls are so heavy that large openings
would make the structure weak and
unstable.

• paper-covered wooden latticework

then but was replaced by glass.
 BUILDING CHARACTER

4. Detailed code for the

decoration of doors, windows
and parapets (including

5. Painted black frames around

doors and windows, and
complex wooden overhang
decorations),

6. Intricately carved interior

timber frame following
standardized design
principles

7. Organic design – buildings

appear to grow out of the
landscape
POTALA PALACE
1. Outer White Palace - houses
the administrative quarters,
2. Inner Red Quarters - houses
the assembly hall of the
Lamas, chapels, 10,000 shrines
and a vast library of Buddhist
scriptures.
POTALA PALACE

:vdare.com/thom/080324_tibet.html

• Located on Moburi (Red) Mountain, to the west of old Lhasa 12,000 feet
above sea level.
POTALA PALACE • 13-storey palace stands 117 meters high
and has over 1,000 rooms.
• Covers an area of 360,000 square meters.
• Made of stone and wood, with walls
averaging from 1 – 5 meters thick.

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Potala_Palace...
JOKHANG
MONASTERY

• 1st Buddhist temple in Tibet, located on Barkhor Square in Lhasa.

• Built during the reign of king Songsten Gampo (605?-650 CE) to celebrate
his marriage with Chinese Tang Dynasty princess Wencheng, who was
said to have introduced Buddhism to Tibet.
• The temple was called the Tsulag Khang or ‘House of Wisdom’ but it is
now known as the Jokhang which means the ‘House of the Buddha’.
Heavenly Jokhang
Talisman guarding the rooftop of Jokhang, the most revered religious icon of Tibet
where hundreds of prostrating pilgrams gathers everyday.
One of the many
exqusitely-built chorten
with delicate images in
the Gyantse Kumbum.
Best-preserved Monastery
Tashilhunpo, seat of the Panchen Lama
 http://phyang.org/photo/tibet.htm

Sky Burial Site

A pilgrim surveys the sky burial site at the Lower Ganden Kora (pilgrimage
circuit).
 http://linnil.info/blog/?p=218

(Tagong Temple), built in 641AD.

It’s a symbol of the cultural mixture of the nations in China at that time and
is one of the most important temples in Tibet. combines the architecture
style from both Tibet and China. The high golden tower is a symbol of
Tibetan temple while edge of the roof resembles Han Chinese style.
 MYANMAR (BURMA)

Bagan
 • Called “THE LAND OF PAGODAS” as the
landscape is dominated by pagodas or stupas.
• ZEDI , Pahto, but are also commonly called
Hpaya synonymous with "Buddha“
• Hpongyi Kyaung - monasteries

http://www.myanmar-all.com/Myanmar_Pagoda.html
Shwedagon Pagoda
6 PERIODS OF THE MYANMAR KINGDOM:

1. PYU ---------------------------- 6th c. until 1044

2. BAGAN AND POST BAGAN ---- 1044 – 1347
cultural peak of the kingdom, evident especially by the vast
and magnificent temples.
3. TUNGOO------------------------ 1347 – 1596
4. 2ND/3RD AVA ----------------- 1596 – 1789
5. AMARAPURA ------------------ 1789 – 1853
6. MANDALAY --------------------1853 – 1948
common style associated with Burma, the architecture is
similar to the contemporary Thai Rattanakosin style

BRITISH COLONIAL ---------------- 1885-1948

Referred to as Post Mandalay
• Four most important Burmese Buddhist pilgrimage
sites are:
1. Bagan, an ancient capital
2. Kyaiktiyo Pagoda in Mon State
3. Mahamuni Buddha in Mandalay
4. Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon
• Central Burma situated on the left bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River and
approximately 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Mandalay.
• Site of an ancient capital city in Mandalay
• Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana (the City of the Enemy Crusher)
• Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or Tassadessa (the Parched Land)
• Pilgrimage centre and contains ancient Buddhist shrines that have been
restored and redecorated and are in current use.

BAGAN (PAGAN)
Images - Photography - Pictures - Buddhism, Bagan, Myanmar, Burma, sunset, by Hartfried Schmid

Hartfried Schmid
Ananda Temple, Bagan
Ananda Temple

• Completed in 1091 A.D. by King Kyanzittha and modeled after the legendary
Nandamula cave in the Himalaya mountains.
• 51.0 m., and it received its golden gilding in 1990 in commemoration of the
900th anniversary of its construction.
• Contained within the temple are 4 great statues of the Buddhas.
Dhammayangyi, the largest temple in Bagan, built by King Narathu who reigned from
1167 to 1170.
 Shwezigon Pagoda

• Built as the most important

reliquary shrine in Bagan.
• Begun by King Anawrahta
and completed by King
Kyanzittha in 1089. It
contains several bones and
hairs of the Buddha.
• Pre-Buddhist Nat worship
were combined with
Buddhist themes in the
pagoda’s construction.

Nats are pagan anamistic spirits :www.sacredsites.com/asia/burma/bagan.html

Shwezigon Pagoda. Bagan
 Gawdawpalin, Temple
• 60 m. temple built in the 12th c. by King Narapatisithu.
Ancient temple in Bagan, Myanmar
 http://www.scaruffi.com/poetry/images/synall.html

Mrauk U, Myanmar
Two of the largest abandoned cities in the world lie in Myanmar/Burma.
Mahabodhi Temple
• Smaller version of the famous Bodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, India (where the Buddha
attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree).
• Built during the reign of King Nantaungmya (1210-1234) and is completely covered
with niches containing seated Buddha figures.
 Alisin ang frame

Kyaiktiyo Pagoda www.flickr.com/photos/robabbott/406576514

• Known as Golden Rock, famous Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon

State, Burma.
Kyaiktiyo Pagoda

• Believers claim that the

large boulder was
placed on the cliff 2,500
years ago, by two nats.
• Atop the gilded boulder
is a 5.5 m (18 ft)
pagoda, which is
believed to contain a
hair of the Buddha.
The Mahamuni
Buddha, Mandalay

• Buddha is housed under a

pagoda built in the 1800s.
 The Mahamuni
Buddha, Mandalay

• The Great Sage, also known

as the Maha Myat Muni
Paya, Rakhine
Paya, Payagyi, is a major
Buddhist pilgrimage site.
• Buddha statue was brought
from Rakhine State in 1784 by
King Bodawpaya as spoils of
war.
• 4.0 m. high, and the statue is
made of bronze, weighing 6.5
tons.
The Mahamuni Buddha
• Gold leaf is regularly
applied to the face of
the Mahamuni
Buddha, and monks
wash the face and teeth
of the image each
morning.
 www.flickr.com/photos/libyan_soup/3092309399

Shwedagon Pagoda, Rangoon (Yangon)

Shwedagon Pagoda,
Rangoon

• SHWE - means gold

• DAGON - former name

of Yangon(Rangoon).

www.flickr.com/photos/flappingwings/88846590/
• Shwedagon Pagoda (Main
Stupa) - located at the center.
• Octagonal base with eight
smaller stupas on each of its
eight sides, making a total of
sixty-four.
• Around the Main Stupa - Many
pavilions (tazaungs), resting
places (zayats), statues,
temples, shrines and smaller
pagodas.
• Manokthihas (sphinxes),
surrounded by a number of
Manokthihas are found, one at
each corner of the platform.
 Shwedagon Pagoda

• Sits on Singuttara Hill and

dominates the skyline of
Rangoon, Burma.
• 98.0 m. (320-360 ft.) high
solid gold plated pagoda,
covered in 60 tons of gold
leaf,
 Shwedagon Pagoda

• The top of the golden

stupa (hti or umbrella) is
tipped with
o 5,448 diamonds
o 2,317 rubies
o Crowned with a
single diamond
(sein bu) weighing
76 carats.
 Eight-Day Symbolism
• At each cardinal point of Direction Day Planet Sign
the compass
tusked
• Around the Shwedagon S Wed AM Mercury
elephant
Pagoda platform are the
eight planetary posts SW Sat Saturn naga
representing the eight W Thu Jupiter rat
days of the week
Yahu tuskless
• (Wednesday is divided NW Wed PM
elephant
into a.m. and p.m.
making it two guinea
days), each with its own N Fri Venus pig or
planet and animal mole
symbol. Beside each
NE Sun Sun garuda
planetary post is a
gilded Buddha figure E Mon Moon tiger
made of alabaster. SE Tue Mars lion
Shwedagon Pagoda
Shwedagon Pagoda
 http://afewroundsmore.wordpress.com/

Monasteries, Pagodas
and Stupas
http://afewroundsmore.wordpress.com/
Monastery of Popa
Taungkalat
2,417 feet, an
ancient, sheer-sided
volcanic plug.

http://sandysdreamzunlimited.blogspot.com/2009/10/gigantic-lava-plug-budhhist-monastery.html
http://sandysdreamzunlimited.blogspot.com/2009/10/gigantic-lava-plug-budhhist-
monastery.html
The monastery of Taung Kalat is also
home to the 37 Mahagiri Nats –
spirits of humans who met violent
deaths revered in conjunction with
Buddhism – their statues to be found
at the base of the Shrine.
http://sandysdreamzunlimited.blogspot.com/2009/10/gigantic-lava-plug-budhhist-
monastery.html
 M A Bhanpurwala
Ngaphechaung Monastery
• Wooden monastery is built on stilts and is located in Inle Lake.
• Built in the 1850s, it is now home to numerous Buddhas as well as cats
that are trained to jump through hoops.
Shwenandaw Kyaung
• Monastery built of wood, and is one of the oldest wooden buildings in
Mandalay that was spared from damage during the WW II.
• Originally located within the grounds of Mandalay Palace.
Shwenandaw Kyaung

• Intricate woodcarvings ornamentation of figures and flowers.

• Walls were once gold plated and adorned with glass mosaic, both inside
and outside.
Multi-tiered teak wooden structure
with four separate “Zeitawun” roof
levels.
 Wood carving - statue depicting
serene Burmese Angels on Door of
Shwe-In Temple, Mandalay

www.flickr.com/photos/10186213@N07/2343507397/
Kyauktawgyi Paya Temple with colored glass artwork, Mandalay
Mandalay Palace
Mandalay Palace was burned to
the ground during World War 2.
It was rebuild over the last 10
years based on photographs and
British and Burmese records.
Mandalay Palace
 Mandalay Palace

http://www.worldisround.com/articles/60407/photo8.html
 http://afewroundsmore.wordpress.com/

Shwe in Bin Monastery, Mandalay

 http://afewroundsmore.wordpress.com/
Detail of one level in the many tiers of the pyramidal roof
Art Deco Colonial Building, Rangoon
Houses

http://afewroundsmore.wordpress.com/
http://afewroundsmore.wordpress.com/
Mandalay Resort