Old Lhasa: Twilight of the Sacred City

Author: Ma Lihua / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-04-01
Features: What kind of temptation makes us unable to help but turn back and gaze at the past years? What do we try to uncover from these yellowed old photographs? As a historically and culturally renowned ancient city, Lhasa is like a long scroll of old photographs, profound and meaningful. Gazing at it intently, I read the bright blue sky and sunny days, as well as the swirling winds and clouds. Lhasa, witnessing the political struggles of successive rulers, faintly reveals the glint of swords and daggers; Lhasa, the sacred center of Tibetan Buddhism, feels the bustling crowds of pilgrims passing by; through the veil of time, I even faintly hear the cries of vendors selling water radishes on Barkhor Street—"Selling water radishes—". Clearly, it is yet another Lhasa of folk customs and market life. Lhasa, old Lhasa, the Lhasa of monks, the Lhasa of nobles, the Lhasa of merchants, beggars, pilgrims, and explorers. The annals of Tibetan history, the vicissitudes of the snow-covered land, the mists of witchcraft and divinity, the joys and sorrows of life—throughout thousands of years, human existence has flowed slowly and heavily beneath the towering golden roofs of Potala Palace, under the gaze of its shimmering peaks. As the capital of the Tubo Dynasty, old Lhasa can be traced back at least thirteen or fourteen centuries. The prehistory of old Lhasa, when the land was cultivated by agriculture, is shrouded in mystery, but archaeological evidence confirms that it dates back at least three to four thousand years, as evidenced by the Qugong Ruins on the northern bank of the Lhasa River. At that time, it was the late Stone Age, with metal tools already discovered alongside stone implements. By the time of the heroic epic era in 633 AD, Songtsen Gampo unified the highlands with his military might. The Tubo king likely carefully selected this location from several candidates to establish his capital. It is believed that the climate was milder then, with dense forests and abundant rivers and lakes, a fertile land for farming and herding, and a training ground for troops. The Yarlung tribe, the center of the Tubo Dynasty, migrated north and found this to be a blessed land, which over the course of several hundred years nurtured a powerful empire. The peak of the Tubo Dynasty's prosperity came during the reign of Trisong Detsen, when not only did they occupy the Silk Road's Anxi Four Towns for over 200 years but also, in a move of "nephew defeating uncle," conquered Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty records this event, and the Dunhuang Tibetan Historical Documents similarly describe it: "Dazhalu Gong and others led their troops to the capital, the capital fell, the Tang emperor fled, and a new ruler was installed, after which the troops returned." However, the Chinese later rarely mentioned this incident. Tibet has not forgotten its past glory, as evidenced by the towering stone obelisk standing in today's Potala Palace Square. The "Dazhalu Gong Stele," inscribed in the 8th century (around 763 AD), commemorates this achievement. The original name of old Lhasa was "Jixue Wotang," with the earliest documented name being "Rasa," a combination of "sheep" and "earth," likely referencing the legend of sheep carrying soil to build the Jokhang Temple. Translated into Chinese, it became "Lhasa." The river that once flowed through Lhasa Valley was not called the "Lhasa River" but the "Jichu"—the Happy River. As for the name "Lhasa" (sacred place), it must have been added later, during the later flourishing of Buddhism. Later records attribute more names to Lhasa, such as the story of Princess Wencheng observing the sky and geography upon her arrival in Lhasa, concluding, "The sky is like eight (wheels), auspicious beyond measure; the earth is like eight (petals), blessed with prosperity; the mountains are like auspicious emblems, radiating auspicious signs." She then named the surrounding mountains after the Eight Auspicious Symbols: the lotus, the wheel, the vase, the umbrella, the (two fish), the victory banner, the wishfulfilling jewel, and the right-rotating conch. Some praise of Lhasa, though attributed to Princess Wencheng, was actually the words of male officials in Tibetan, religiously charged rhetoric, and thus are not repeated here. The establishment of Lhasa as the capital by Songtsen Gampo was symbolic, marking the end of internal conflicts and bringing peace and prosperity to the people, as well as the establishment of order and institutions, reflecting social progress. As a historically and culturally significant city, Lhasa still preserves remnants of that era: the cliff carvings on Medicine King Mountain and the Yaola Lufu Grottoes, the ruins of Pabonka where Thonmi Sambhota created the Tibetan script. These physical records demonstrate the significant cultural development of that time. If the history before the Tubo Dynasty was as turbulent as the Warring States period in the Central Plains, then the era of Songtsen Gampo and the Tubo Dynasty was like the unification of the Qin Dynasty—where the Central Plains and the interior followed their own paths but grew closer during this period. Later, however, things changed, and the two almost synchronized: periods of order or chaos, prosperity or decline. This pattern was first mentioned to me by an elderly scholar from the Tibet Archives, and upon reflection, it held true for the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing, Republican, and modern eras—all corresponded to this rule. The old scholar had said, "When the interior is strong, Tibet is peaceful; when the interior is chaotic, Tibet becomes even more chaotic." The Tubo Dynasty's unified rule lasted for three to four hundred years, followed by another three to four hundred years of fragmentation and division (969–1246 AD). During the weak Song Dynasty, their actions in Tibet seemed limited to the trade of tea and horses. In the Sakya Dynasty, when the center shifted westward in the 13th century, the Yuan Dynasty incorporated Tibet into China's territory and enfeoffed 13 households. Lhasa, as one of them, fell under the jurisdiction of the Zhabang Household Chief. Local powers contributed to the urban development of Lhasa over the following few centuries. Although the Ming Dynasty abolished the system of households, it established administrative institutions in Lhasa and implemented a policy of "multiple enfeoffments and constructions." The history of Lhasa since the Qing Dynasty has been clear: the Qing court supported the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism and, as a result, encouraged the establishment of the feudal theocracy in Tibet. The revival of old Lhasa was clearly based on this foundation. Almost 600 years ago, the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism rose to prominence with Lhasa as its base, with the famous Drepung, Ganden, and Sera monasteries being built in Lhasa. Especially with the support of the Qing court, for three hundred years after the 5th Dalai Lama strengthened the feudal theocracy in Tibet, a super-stable ruling structure and social order endured until the mid-20th century. Over a thousand years, old Lhasa has seen both turmoil and prosperity. Therefore, we wish to tell the story of old Lhasa, starting from its revival.