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Jokhang Temple has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. It is the spiritual center of Lhasa and stands in the heart of the old city. It was built in 647AD by King Songtsen Gampo, upon establishing his kingdom抯 capital in Lhasa. Through several renovations it expanded into quite a large group of buildings and now covers an area of over 25,000 sq meters.
Jokhang has 4 stories and its roofs are covered with gilded bronze tiles. It was built in the style of Tang dynasty structures and adopted the characteristics of Nepalese and Indian architecture.
There are numerous elaborately decorated shrines and rooms at Jokhang. There are also statues of King Songtsan Gambo together with his Chinese bride Princess Wen Cheng and Nepalese bride Princess Chizun in the side halls. In the center of the main hall, a gold statue of the young Buddha Sakyamuni, brought to Tibet by Princess Wen Cheng from Chang'an (present Xian) is enshrined.
(China.org.cn)
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