Ganden Monastery – honestly hard to describe. For us it was the most impressive monastery of our three-week tour: about an hour’s drive from Lhasa, set in the mountains at around 4,200 metres. During the Cultural Revolution it was completely destroyed. At that time almost all of the roughly 6,000 temples, monasteries and religious buildings were destroyed and many monks were killed; only 13 buildings are said to have survived intact.
Rebuilding and a view over Ganden
Today around 300 monks live here again and are rebuilding everything with great attention to detail – yet only 30 of the once 200 buildings have been restored. You can hardly imagine how vast the complex used to be. With the kind permission of the Chinese army we climbed the nearby mountain, and after a good two weeks those 300 metres of ascent showed us once again just how thin the air is up here. The view from the top can hardly be put into words; “breathtaking” fits in more ways than one, and the pictures here can only hint at it.
Passengers in the red vehicle, dry plain and mountains behind on the way to Ganden.A hairpin through brown mountains, a motorbike on the way to the monastery.The white stupa in the courtyard, red walls and visitors on the paving.The golden spire sits on the white stupa, the façade behind it red.Along the red and white wall three people walk through the monastery.Red and white fronts, the windows in them staying small.At the corner of Ganden a snow-covered mountain; the monastery stands at about 4200 metres.Close up: the painted prayer wheel beneath a floral frieze.A prostration on the patterned carpet, the gilded shrines beyond.Butter lamps in a large bowl, the hall around them staying dark.Only a silhouette in the doorway light, the rest of the hall in darkness.A beam of light from the window falls onto the row of lamps.In the shrine a painted figure with a crown, gold and coloured fabrics around it.Several painted figures, the light in the hall staying scarce.Between a white wall and a red one, a monk walks through the lane.Steps in the narrow lane, the shadow on the wall hard-edged.Beneath red masonry a monk stands at the door with a curtain.Monks sit at the table, a large dark disc hanging on the wall.The white building curves round, its window frames black.A white stupa on the flat roofs, the valley behind them.A red robe against a white wall, a monk at Ganden Monastery.Red building and white stupa on the slope, only 30 of the former 200 buildings are restored.Three red robes cross the courtyard, the shutters gleaming gold.In the lane a monk adjusts his red robe, a second monk following behind.A monk on the terrace, another red robe hanging on the wall.The path runs between white walls, a monk coming towards the camera.Three monks in front of the flat roofs, snowy peaks lying behind.A monk stands in the doorway, the mountains in front of him.The gilded roof finial stands in front of the snowy mountains.From the nearby mountain, Ganden Monastery lies along the ridge.Prayer flags run along the ridge, the valley in the background.Dense colourful prayer flags on the ridge above the monastery.Colourful prayer flags on the slope, the shadow of the photographer among them.Yellow prayer flags, with script readable on the cloth.After 300 metres of ascent: the photographer among the prayer flags on the hill.Prayer flags hang on the rocky ridge, snowy peaks behind them.The monastery sits on the hill, the valley in front staying out of focus.Yaks on the meadow, Ganden Monastery on the ridge behind them.Only one yak grazes on the meadow, Ganden on the ridge behind.A wide valley, Ganden Monastery on the ridge to the right.Green prayer flags, a braided river in the valley behind them.Green prayer flags on poles, the slope dropping down towards the valley.
