It was my first time taking the train to Lhasa, and I hadn’t yet acclimated to the high altitude; walking a little faster made me feel dizzy.
Today, I set off from the village where I was staying at around 8 o’clock, transferred three times on the bus, and finally arrived at the bus stop near Sera Monastery.
Then, I walked a few hundred meters from the intersection to the entrance of Sera Monastery.
It was already past 10 o’clock when I arrived at Sera Monastery.
The weather was very hot, and because black and white photos have a more historical feel, I took a few black and white pictures directly.
At the entrance, I met a few local grandmothers holding a stack of fifty-cent and ten-cent pieces. I didn’t know what they were for at the time, but after entering, I found out that they were for offering a bit of incense money when praying to the Buddha.
Put up a color photo of the main entrance.
Buy a ticket and go in.
There is a main road in the middle, and the specific temples are on both sides of the road.
The first thing that catches your eye when you enter is the prayer wheel and the white pagoda.
It was my first time visiting, and I was very curious about Tibetan architecture, taking photos at every opportunity.
In Lhasa, you must protect yourself from the sun when you go out. If the ultraviolet rays are strong, you can get sunburned in a day. I was so sunburned that my hands started to peel.
Taking photos.
Then, I followed the tourists into a small temple. Since photography was prohibited inside, there was nothing I could do. After entering, I walked behind others, and finally, an old master tapped a little incense ash on our noses. Later, I found out that this is also a custom.
The layout of the temple consists of a main road in the middle and other small paths, just like alleys, which are intricate and complex. I just walked along any path and turned back if I took a wrong turn.
Then, I found a place to rest for a while.
This is the debate field. The debates at Sera Monastery are a big feature. I happened to catch it today, which seems to start at 2 o’clock, but I came at 1 o’clock. At this time, there were only 3-5 tourists inside.
Then, I sat under the tree to cool off and wait for the debate to start, and the number of tourists gradually increased.
The sun at noon is really harsh.
The debate is very noisy on the spot. It seems that those who stand are the ones asking questions, clapping their hands each time they ask. Those who sit are responsible for answering, just like in a debate.
I watched the debate for more than an hour and then got ready to leave.
The sun is still strong, and I have been drinking several bottles of water every day recently.
After arriving in Lhasa, in addition to moving slowly during activities
It is important to maintain the habit of drinking plenty of water every day.