Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Muli monastery, Sichuan recently

The next few pictures are taken off a Chinese website , aparently by a guy who comes from Muli and who is in the police (or posts on a police website: http://www.ngjc.com/forum/view_48437_1.html). These are his pictures of his return to Muli for the annual festival at the monastery.

Tibetan woman at Muli, 2005


Tibetan woman at Muli, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Compare this picture to the one of the Muli women taken by Joseph Rock in 1925:
Muli princess 1920s

Muli monastery: "devil dance"


Muli dance, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Compare these recent pictures to those taken at Choni monastery (see below) that Joseph Rock took in 1925.

Balden Lhamo and Yama


Balden Lhamo and Yama, originally uploaded by jiulong.

Balden Lhamo at left is leading the Bowa in a fiendish whirl around Yama, the King of Hell. From her mouth dangles the corspe of her son, whom legend says she devoured.

Muli monastery dancers


Muli dancers 2, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Very similar to the pictures from Choni monastery (see below) that Joseph Rock took in 1925.

Muli monastery dancers at the annual festival


Muli dancers 3, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Head lama of Muli monastery


Muli abbott, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Muli monastery, Sichuan: monks sitting with dancers

Holy Jeep (Lama-mobile) at Muli monastery, Sichuan

Festive horse at Muli monastery, Sichuan

Butter altar ornaments at Muli monastery, Sichuan

Muli monastery, Sichuan: elephant

Bin Laden? Hiding in Muli ...


Bin Laden? Hiding in Muli ..., originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Muli kids


Muli kids, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Muli monastery, Sichuan motorbikes

Muli monastery, Sichuan wooden interior

Prayers at Muli monastery, Sichuan


prayer, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Rural road near Muli monastery, Sichuan

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Choni (Jone, Zhuoni,卓尼) monastery, then and now.


Namse, wealth god, originally uploaded by jiulong.

The following few posts show how the monastery at Choni has changed since 1925, when Joseph Rock visited on his way to Amnyi Machen. At that time, Choni was one of the major Tibetan monasteries in Gansu, and was also the scene for a murderous war between Tibetans and "Mohammedans". Joseph Rock befriended the hereditary local prince and had an extended stay at Choni while he photographed the many "devil dances". He wrote about it in the 1928 issue of National Geographic magazine. The pictures here are taken from that article. They are crude photocopies, hence the quality is not that good.

The Black Hat leader makes his entrance. The Cham-s'homa or New Dance originated 200 years later than the ancient pantomime Cham-nygyon-wa. The performers wear beautiful costumes and ornate headgear, but no masks. The damce is celebrtated the day before and the day after the Festival of Tsongkapa. As photographed in Choni monastery, Gansu, 1925 by Joseph Rock

Choni monastery today


Choni monastery today, originally uploaded by jiulong.

In Gansu province, south east of the great Labrang (Xiahe) monastery.

Choni monastery gateway


Choni monastery gate, originally uploaded by jiulong.

Choni monastery today


Choni monastery today, originally uploaded by jiulong.

"The New Dance": Cham-s'homa


Tsongkapa - Cham-s'homa, originally uploaded by jiulong.

The Black Hat leader makes his entrance. The Cham-s'homa or New dance originated 200 years later than the ancient pantomime Cham-nygyon-wa. The performers wear beautiful costumes and ornate headgear, but no masks. The damce is celebrtated the day before and the day after the Festival of Tsongkapa. As photographed in Choni monastery, Gansu, 1925 by Joseph Rock

Yama, Tibetan God of the Dead


Yama, God of the Dead, originally uploaded by jiulong.

With the sceptre of death in his right hand, the fearsome Yama, the God of the Dead, appears on the steps of the chanting hall and instills fear int the herats of the Tibetan audience. Later he is joined in his dance by the retinue of demons, the Bowa. As photographed in Choni monastery, Gansu, 1925 by Joseph Rock

Gomba (right), Masur Lhamo (left) and their wives

There are 21 of these Bowa who dance with Yama, ruler of the nether world. At right is Gombo, chief of the demon band, a manifestation of the Indian god Siva. Next to him stands his wife, Gombo Nyon. Masur Lhamo is at the left and his wife Lhamo Nyon stands between him and Gombo Nyon.As photographed in Choni monastery, Gansu, 1925 by Joseph Rock

Drapukolo, Tibetan God of Wealth


Drapukolo, Tibetan God of Wealth, originally uploaded by jiulong.

Dzon Ker, Tibetan deity of wealth


Dzon Ker, Tibetan wealth god, originally uploaded by jiulong.

One of the numerous Tibetan deities of wealth in the Tibetan family of gods.

Donker (Drolma), Goddess of Mercy


Donker (Drolma), Goddess of Mercy, originally uploaded by jiulong.

Donker is one of the 25 manifestations of Drolma, the Goddess of Mercy. One of five pyramid sculptures displayed at the Choni monastery Butter Festival in 1925. As photographed iby Joseph Rock

Shenrezig sculpture in butter


Shenrezig sculpture in butter, originally uploaded by jiulong.

A monk's conception of the patron saint of Lhasa, Shenrezig, the deity to whom the Tibetan prayer Om Mane Padme Hum is addressed. As photographed in Choni monastery, Gansu, 1925 by Joseph Rock

Cham-ngyon-wa Tibetan trumpets


Cham-ngyon-wa Tibetan trumpets, originally uploaded by jiulong.

And they are still using them at Muli monastery this year:
Tibetan horns at Muli monastery

Choni monastery library, 1925


Choni monastery library, 1925, originally uploaded by jiulong.

As photographed in Choni monastery, Gansu, 1925 by Joseph Rock

Choni monastery butter sculptures


Choni butter images, originally uploaded by jiulong.

Amnyi Soda and Toba


Amnyi Soda and Toba, originally uploaded by jiulong.

Gombo the devil treads Ganesh underfoot

As photographed in Choni monastery, Gansu, 1925 by Joseph Rock

Le Chon Chaker


Le Chon Chaker, originally uploaded by jiulong.

Tsongkapa festival as photographed in Choni monastery, Gansu, 1925 by Joseph Rock

Clay Buddha: Recompense of Kindness temple

Sunning the Buddha


Sunning the Buddha, originally uploaded by jiulong.

Tsongkapa at Choni


Tsongkapa at Choni, originally uploaded by jiulong.

Nantain and guards


Nantain and guards, originally uploaded by jiulong.

This is a comedy about a bigheaded (literally) Chinese monk, Nantain, who comes to Tibet to show off his Buddhist knowledge. According t Rock this was a piece of politico-religous propaganda directed against the Chinese: "to emphasise the superiority of the lamas over the Chinese, whom they hate most cordially".

Poplars at Choni


Poplars at Choni, originally uploaded by jiulong.

Ragya monastery, Gansu, 1925


Ragya monastery, Gansu, 1925, originally uploaded by jiulong.

Poplars near Choni in winter


Poplars near Choni in winter, originally uploaded by jiulong.

As photographed at Choni monastery, Gansu, 1925 by Joseph Rock

Riverside monastery, Gansu


Riverside monastery, Gansu, originally uploaded by jiulong.

Hilltop monastery, Gansu


Hilltop monastery, originally uploaded by jiulong.

Dollo gorge, Gansu, 1925


Dollo gorge, Gansu, originally uploaded by jiulong.

by Joseph Rock

Chinese villagers, Gansu, 1925


Locals, Gansu, originally uploaded by jiulong.

Listening to a gramophone. As photographed near Choni monastery, Gansu, 1925 by Joseph Rock

Mountains in Gansu, near Choni, 1925


Mountains in Gansu, originally uploaded by jiulong.