Songzanlin
Monastery, or known as “Little
Potala” according to its
appearance, is a traditional Lama
monastery located just 5 kilometres
away from the Shangri La / Zhongdian
Old town. It was built in 1679
and has been reconstructed several
times as it is considered to be
one of the most significant monasteries
among Yunnan. Today, Songzanlin
is the home for more or less 700
monks and Lamas for their monastic
lives. |
Inside
the main complex, many historical
Buddhist events are well-illustrated
by three bronze statues and the
colourful murals. They represent
the Lord Buddha’s life,
and the wheel of life that characterize
the six realms of existence: heaven,
demigods, humankind, hell, hungry
ghosts and animals. However the
centre of the wheels symbolizes
the three harms of life - ignorance,
hatred and greed. |
