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Litang
Leopold
File :-(, x)
This is the entrance to the big temple. I did not take pictures inside because it was so amazing. Unlike many temples now in China who charge 50RMB entrance fee or whatever, REAL temples like this one are free and have real monks.***Inside, the monks were sitting on the lawn while two monks were blowing horns as a call to prayer from the roof of the main hall. I speak fluent daily conversational Chinese so I joined them. Most of the monks, like most of the older residents in Litang, do not speak at most broken Mandarin, but fortunately one monk's Mandarin was perfect.***We discussed about learning Tibetan and their religion, etc. Interesting. Then four Han Chinese tourists walked in to take some pictures (taking pics even during the prayer ceremony is crump). They saw a foreigner speaking with the monks, but when they approached and asked me some questions the Mandarin-speaking monk entered the discussion and started telling the them that they don't understand the Tibetan language/religion/etc. and to get the fuck out of their country.***I am now fairly certain that that monk was a police. I was born in the USSR, and we also had this e.g. undercover attendance at churches/synagogues to keep track if anyone was talking shit. His Mandarin was too perfect and his open provocation against the tourists while trying to involve me on his side was rather obvious. Since I personally really have no interest in those issues, I really had nothing to say anyways.***Afterwards the prayer service began. There was a very intimidating discipline monk, and an elder monk in the back with whom we (some Chinese university students cycling from Chengdu to Lhasa came along at this point) could chat , and he handed out little gifts like blessed string.***I am an atheist, but nevertheless this was an amazing experience.
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