|
Yamdrok Lake:
Lake Yamdrok, one of Tibet's sacred
lakes. The lake is remarkably blue, much
like Crater Lake in Oregon, but for a
different reason. Crater Lake's blue is
a result of its depth (1,000 feet
below)-- white light enters the deep
waters and most frequencies (colors) are
absorbed. Blue and violet escape, giving
the lake a deep, rich, indigo color.
Yamdrok is quite shallow, The lake is a
dead salt lake -- no rivers feed it --
and it is considered to be the abode of
certain protector deities.
Sera Monastery
Lhasa:
Sera Monastery located in Lhasa's
northern suburbs, is also an institution
of extraordinary beauty. The complex is
somewhat smaller than Drepung, but it is
otherwise similar, with many beautiful
statues and paintings within. Behind
Sera, well up the mountainside, is a
small building that is evidently
intended for meditation retreats, and I
do believe that given its high place on
the slope, few tourists would be able to
ascend to the building to pester the
monks. From the rooftop of one of Sera's
buildings, one can look across Lhasa's
northern district at the Potala, which
stands prominently above the streets on
the hill.
Drepung Monastery:
Drepung Monastery is a large complex of
buildings, most of which are decorated
in the maroon and white motif common to
Tibetan religious architecture. This
shot shows the richness of the gold
decorations one sees on the rooftops.
The slide was taken on an automatic
exposure setting and, though resized and
cropped slightly, is otherwise
unaltered. |
