The temples in Tibetan areas are very different from those in Chinese mainland. Generally, it is composed of a group of quadrangles. The main buildings are located on the central axis, and the secondary buildings are symmetrical on both sides, while the temples in Tibetan areas pay little attention to these.
Yesterday, I talked about different factions of Tibetan Buddhism, so different architectural styles will be derived according to different factions, but I didn't talk about its native Bonism. Today, when we talk about temple architecture, we will also talk about Bonism Temple together.
Buddhism schools in Tibetan areas include Gelug Sect, Ma Ning Sect, Kagyu Sect, Gadang Sect, Sakya Sect and Bonism. In fact, on the whole, these temples are not much different, just similar. Different factions worship different Buddha statues, and temples look similar.
Bognis Temple
In the choice of colors, Tibetan temples prefer white, red and yellow. These three colors have natural and primitive symbolic meanings. White is pure color, white clouds are white, snow is white and sheep is white; Red expresses a determination to endure hardship. Religious buildings should obey religion, and the robes are mostly dark red. In our mainland, yellow is a symbol of imperial power. The robes and the walls of the royal temples are bright yellow. In Tibetan areas, yellow is also a symbol of power. It rarely appears in the homes of ordinary people, but monasteries, living buddhas' residences in Xilinhot and monks' residences are all eligible to wear yellow coats.
Gelupai Temple drepung monastery
Look at the Potala Palace and you will know the importance of these three colors. The main colors of Potala Palace are red, white and Huang San.
Tibetan religions have the right to speak, that is, the unity of politics and religion, so their temples have an overwhelming boldness and majesty in architectural style. The walls are made of stone, very thick, and the windows are very small, giving people a feeling of vigor and stability. Temples are usually built on slopes, so buildings are very high.
Xiahe Geerpailabuleng Temple in Gansu Province
In fact, some temples in Tibetan areas are built on the flat ground, such as Jokhang Temple, but most of them are built at the foot of the mountain. Flat temples often take the form of nearly regular symmetry, with the main hall image as the composition center.
The temple buildings at the foot of the mountain are chaotic, but they also have their own layout: many temples face the hillside in the north and the flat land in the south, with tall and gorgeous Buddhist scriptures and Buddhist halls behind them, living Buddha rooms outside and low courtyards on three sides, all of which are ordinary monks.
Mapaibaimiao
A temple is a school. The larger temples include lecture halls, temples, places where scriptures are debated, a silent yuan, some seals of living buddhas (originally meaning only the bedroom of a Lama, but later evolving into a family temple where the Lama is the owner of the temple), monks' houses, deacons' offices, warehouses, guest rooms for donors, sacrificial rings, and so on. Therefore, it often takes decades for a temple to be fully equipped with these ancillary facilities.
Potala Palace in Syracuse
Because of the integration of politics and religion, Tibetan temples pay more attention to occupying important terrain in site selection, occupying favorable positions when strong enemies invade, or building defensive buildings in temple buildings, such as watchtowers, crocks, narrow passages and complex artificial terrain.
Gepaiyong bulakang
There is one sect that is different from other sects in composition color, and that is Sakya Sect. It also has a simple name, called "Hua Jiao". Its origin is that the Sakya Sect advocated the red, white and blue stripes symbolizing Manjusri, Guanyin and the "Three Nizhu" Bodhisattva in the Vajrayana, and displayed these colors directly on the walls of the temple.