Chiru Lhakhang
| Chiru Lhakhang | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Tibetan Buddhism |
| Location | |
| Location | Nêdong District, Shannan City, Tibet Autonomous Region |
| Country | China |
| Geographic coordinates | 29°22′44.11″N 91°49′48.90″E / 29.3789194°N 91.8302500°E |
Chiru Lhakhang, or Jiru Lhakhang (Chinese: 吉如拉康; Tibetan: བཀྲ་ཤིས་རྒན་པའི་ལྷ་ཁང་།), also known as Zhamar Jiru Lhakhang, Jiru Lakang Temple, is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery located in Jiru Village, Jieba Township, Nêdong District, Shannan City, Tibet Autonomous Region, China.[1]
History
[edit]Founded during the reign of Emperor Khri Detsugtsen (704–755 CE) of the Tibetan Empire,[2] it stands as one of Tibet's oldest surviving religious structures and was designated a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit in 2001.[3]
Architecture
[edit]The monastery's architecture reflects five distinct construction phases spanning over a millennium.[4] The earliest phase includes the Namu Lhakhang, built during the early-mid Tibetan Empire, followed by the 8th-century Shakyamuni Chapel with its iconic circumambulation corridor and intricately carved pillars featuring motifs like lions and dragons.[5] Subsequent expansions in the 11th and 16th–17th centuries added the Gaden Chokor Lhakhang—associated with the scholar Atiśa—and assembly halls flanked by prayer corridors. A 1957 renovation modernized facilities while preserving core structures.[6][7]
Manuscripts
[edit]Jiru Lhakhang lies within Jieba Township, established in 1959 and later incorporated into Nêdong County (now Nêdong District under Shannan's jurisdiction). The monastery's compact 982 m2 complex houses rare artifacts, including 100,000+ pages of Tibetan manuscripts from the imperial era, 16th-century transcribed texts, and a unique collection of Kashmiri- and Nepali-influenced statuary. Its blend of architectural evolution and historical continuity offers unparalleled insights into Tibet's early Buddhist art and imperial-era governance.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ 藏汉经济文化交流史 (in Chinese). Social Sciences Academic Press. 2015. p. 89. ISBN 978-7-5097-6643-9. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
- ^ 中国民间文学集成全国编辑委员会. 中国民间故事集成: 西藏卷. 中国民间故事集成 (in Chinese). 中国文联出版公司. p. 175. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
- ^ 藏传佛教寺院建筑文化研究. 西藏历史与现状综合研究项目 (in Chinese). Social Sciences Academic Press. 2016. p. 23. ISBN 978-7-5097-8517-1. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
- ^ 《中国考古集成》编委会. 中国考古集成. 东亚文库 (in Chinese). 北京出版社. p. 3597. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
- ^ 民族考古学概论 (in Chinese). 福建人民出版社. 2009. p. 222. ISBN 978-7-211-05828-0. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
- ^ 西藏东部吐蕃佛教造像：芒康、察雅考古调查与研究报告. 国家社科基金后期资助项目 (in Chinese). Social Sciences Academic Press. 2018. p. 5-PT69. ISBN 978-7-5201-2016-6. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
- ^ 西藏重点文物保护单位的现状、潜在资源分析与保护对策. 西藏历史与现状综合研究项目 (in Chinese). Social Sciences Academic Press. 2016. p. 92. ISBN 978-7-5097-8586-7. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
- ^ China. 国家文物局; 文物出版社 (1998). 文物 (in Chinese). 文物出版社. p. 90. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
