Norbulingka was built in 1755 and became the place where the
successors of the seventh Dalai Lama dealt with affairs, held
celebrations, spent the hot summer, rested and conducted religious
activities. Norbulingka is the largest man-made garden in Tibet.
The garden covers an area of 46 acres (19 hectares) and the palace
has 374 rooms of different sizes. In the garden visitors can
worship Buddha, relax and study the Tibetan-style palaces.
It is Tibet’s Summer Palace, and it means “Jeweled Park” in Tibetan
language. In mid-March every year, the Dalai Lama would move there
from the Potala Palace, and stay until the end of October, when he
would return to the Potala Palace. So, Norbulingka is called the
Summer Palace and the Potala Palace the Winter Palace.
At Norbulingka, visitors can watch the production process of
Thangka. Also called "Tangka", Thangka is a unique kind of Tibetan
scroll painting with silk embroidery. Thangkas depict all aspects
of Tibet, including religion, history, politics, culture and social
life.
Norbulingka is an important celebration place of Shoton Festival
(watch video), a grand traditional festival in Tibet. After
watching the ceremony of "Sunning the Buddha" at Drepung Monastery,
people would come to Norbulingka to continue their festival
celebration. Various activities are held there, such as shooting,
archery, singing and dancing. People also gather on the open ground
to have picnics and drink yogurt.
During the festival, besides Tibetan yogurt, another favorite of
the Tibetan people is Tibetan Opera. Performances of Tibetan Opera
go on from morning till dawn for about a week, and these are the
best ones in the whole Tibet. Tibetan Opera is called Ace Lhamo in
Tibetan language, and is regarded as “the living fossil of
traditional Tibetan culture”.
Related Links
- Tibet Travel Tips
- Introduction of Tibetan New Year
- Tibet Tour Packages
- Videos of Tibet
From the Tibetan Hospital to the gate. RMB 2 yuan for each person.How to Get to there?
