Thousands of Pilgrims Rush to Jokhang Temple in Lhasa in Winter

Jokhang Temple in Lhasa is always crowded or surrounded by devout pilgrims in winter. Jokhang Temple receives 20,000 pilgrims every day on average since October 2012, according to statistics provided by the Administration Committee of Jokhang Temple. Most of the pilgrims came to Lhasa from various regions in Tibet, such as Qamdo Prefecture and Ngari Prefecture. There is also a number of pilgrims come to Jokhang Temple from faraway places out of Tibet Autonomous Region, such as Qinghai Province, Gansu Province and Sichuan Province. Jokhang Temple has received more than one million pilgrims so far. It is predicted that the total number of pilgrims come to Jokhang Temple in winter might be even more than 2 millions till the end of February 2013.

Noted as one of the landmarks in Lhasa City, Jokhang Temple has a long history which could be dated back to the most prosperous period of Tubo Kingdom. Jokhang Temple was constructed under the model of Mandala which is regarded as the ideal world in Tibetan Buddhism. It is highly respected by the followers of Tibetan Buddhism for the Statue of 12-year-old Sakyamuni is enshrined in the monastery since ancient times. To look up at the kindly face of Sakyamuni in Jokhang Temple, a large number of pilgrims in faraway places come here after innumerable trials and hardships. That is why tourists making a Tibet tour could always see some kowtowing toward Lhasa along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway or Qinghai-Tibet Highway even in the cold winter.

Winter is the low season of Tibet tour and there are fewer tourists in Lhasa compared to the high season. But tourists make a Tibet tour in winter will have the chance to enjoy the charm of the real Lhasa City. In summer, the pilgrims are always submerged by the tourists and the tourists become the main landscape of Lhasa. In winter, thousands of pilgrims circumambulating around Jokhang Temple while murmuring the classic Buddhism sutra and rotating their prayer wheels. There is a solemn and sacred religious atmosphere in Lhasa in winter which could not be experienced in any other corner of the world.

Winter is the slack season for pilgrims engaged in husbandry. Tibetans in Sichuan Province, Gansu Province, Qinghai Province and Nagqu Prefecture, Qamdo Prefectufe, Nyingchi Prefecture and Ngari Prefecture in Tibet would make their pilgrimage to Lhasa continuously. Tourists making a Tibet tour in winter will have the chance to look into the dressing culture and speech habits of Tibetans from different regions in and around Tibet.

The pilgrims from different regions could come to Lhasa for pilgrimage conveniently with the improvement of the Tibet transportation. Pilgrims from Qinghai Province and Gansu Province could get to Lhasa by train along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. A number of pilgrims from Sichuan Province choose to enter into Tibet by driving along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway.

To provide convenience for pilgrims from afar, Jokhang Temple extends its opening time. Pilgrims could come to Jokhang Temple for pilgrimage early in 8:00 in the morning and it would be even open to pilgrims at 20:00 p.m. some days.