Lhasa Ramoche Temple
Remoche Temple is a Buddhist monastery, considered to be the most important temple in Lhasa after the Jokhang Temple. It is often called “Minor Jokhang Temple” and is located in the North part of Lhasa city, about 1 km from the Jokhang, covering an area of 4,000 square meters.
Ramoche Temple is one of the key cultural relic protection sites of the Tibet Autonomous Region as well as a popular attraction in Lhasa. Rachoche has a long history, and was founded at the same time as the Jokhang Temple. The original building complex has a strong Tang architecture influence, for it was first built by Han Chinese architects in the middle of the 7th century (during the Tang Dynasty). Han Princess Wencheng took charge of this project and ordered the temple be erected facing east to show her homesickness.
Remoche Temple was originally built to house the famous statue of Sakyamuni, now found in the Jokhang Temple, which was originally brought to Tibet by Princess Wencheng, It was said that when Princess Wencheng and her entourage arrived at the North gate of Lhasa, her carriage got stuck in the mud. Her assistants could not remove the statue and so they covered it temporarily with 4 pilllars and white brocade. Later, the Princess ordered the construction of Ramoche as a shrine for the statue. Twenty years later, in 652 A.D.,the leader of Tibet was concerned with rumours that the Chinese Emperor was considering an invasion of Tibet As a protection, he moved the Sakyamuni statue from the Ramoche to the Jokhang, and hid it from view. It had remained there ever since. In exchange Ramoche Temple received a smaller bronze statue of Sakyamuni, which has been brought to Tibet by Songtsan Gampo’s other wife, the Nepalese Princess Tritsun. This can still be seen at Ramoche Temple today.| Want a quick enquiry ? |
