Explore Tibet Offers Tours to the Printing Press of Derge Monastery in Kham
(PRWEB) December 07, 2013 -- Explore Tibet, a Lhasa-based tour company, is now offering tours to the famous printing press of Derge Monastery in Kham, Eastern Tibet.
The northern and southern roads of western Sichuan to the borders of Tibet offer the main sights, including the big monasteries of Ganzi, Derge and Litang. Off the main roads are several spectacularly situated and rarely visited monasteries. Hikers can find bliss in the sublime scenery of Yading Nature Reserve or on horseback in the lovely valleys around Derge.
At the heart of the Derge is the 18th century Bakong Scripture Printing Press and Monastery. The press houses more than 217,000 engraved blocks of Tibetan scriptures from all the Tibetan Buddhist orders. The collection makes up an estimated 70 percent of Tibet's literary heritage. These texts include ancient works about astronomy, geography, music, medicine and Buddhist classics.
“The celebrated printing press of Derge Parkhang is a magnificent three-story building with original frescoes that were blackened by smoke during the wanton destruction of the 1960s, but recently restored with painstaking care,” Explore Tibet have said.
Beyond the monastery's portico, there is an inner courtyard, giving access to the temple on the ground level, the printing works on the second level, and the rooftop chapels on the third level.
Upstairs is the precious collection of xylograph blocks, including the Derge editions of the Kangyur, Tangyur, Nyingma Gyudbum and other works, which are constantly in demand throughout the towns, villages and monasteries of Tibet. The entire printing process can be observed here; from the preparation of the paper and the ink to the carving of the woodblocks and the actual printing and collating of the various texts. The bookshop is located in the south wing of the building opposite the Parkhang.
Explore Tibet is a locally owned travel agency committed to responsible tourism, Tibetan travel permit and sustainable practice.
Fore more information, please visit http://www.exploretibet.com/.
SJamphel, Explore Tibet, http://www.exploretibet.com/, +86 18507558198, [email protected]
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