Global Treasures: Jokhang

Television Director: Ullman, Frank

Producer: Scarson, Peter O.

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Catalogue Number: GTR-DVD-1262

UPC: 883629689173

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Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

Smoke from numerous sacrificial stoves fill the streets and squares of the Tibetan capital of Lhasa in the Trans-Himalayan Mountains. This "City of the Gods" well deserves its lofty reputation. Its not only the political, cultural and economic centre of Tibet, but also its religious heart.

Barkhor Road is 800 metres long and encircles the Jokhang Temple, as well as nearby Tsuklakhang Square. The aroma of juniper rises from the sacrificial stoves placed along the sacred road. Traditional prayer flags billow in the breeze.

Jokhang Temple has a mystic atmosphere and contains many images of daily religious life in Lhasa. It was built as a shrine for a unique Buddha statue.

The temple is still, more than 1300 years after its foundation, a much-worshipped national sanctuary, as well as a vibrant centre of Buddhism in Tibet and the revered home of the Dalai Lama.