Praise Forest Card Tibetan Culture Exhibition Hall

Praise Forest Card Tibetan Culture Exhibition Hall

The “Praise Forest Card Tibetan Culture Exhibition Hall” is situated at the convergence of the “Three Gorges” in Huangyuan County, a key location connecting Qinghai and Tibet, at the intersection of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and National Highways 315 and 109, 43 kilometers from Xining. “Praise Forest Card” means the Tibetan King’s Garden. It was first built in the 1

5th year of the Zhenguan era (641 AD) during the Tang Dynasty. It served as a temporary palace specially constructed by Tuyuhun leader King of Heyuan Commandery, Murong Nuohebo, and Princess Honghua of the Tang Dynasty to welcome Princess Wencheng into Tibet. It was later destroyed during wartime. In this prosperous era, the “Praise Forest Card” has been rebuilt on its original site. Today’s “Praise Forest Card” is grand in scale and magnificent in appearance, and it is the world’s only Tibetan King’s Garden, covering an area of 43 mu. The architectural style of the garden combines Han and Tibetan elements, and many enriching features have been added to the original structure. The 127 murals and thangkas in the main hall depict the origins of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and humanity, the establishment of the Tubo Dynasty, successive Tibetan kings, the journey of Princess Wencheng to Tibet, the spread of Han-Tibetan culture, and the development of the Tibetan region—holding significant historical and cultural research value. The 123 Buddha statues illustrate the life of the Buddha, the origins of Tibetan Buddhism, and the development of the eight major sects. It serves as a microcosm of thousands of years of history on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, a museum of Tibetan ethnic culture, and a hall of national harmony that unites the eight major sects of Tibetan Buddhism. The “Praise Forest Card” also houses two national treasures of the Guge Kingdom: jade statues of Songtsen Gampo and Princess Wencheng. Inside these jade figures are enshrined Amitabha Buddha and Vairocana Buddha made of Hetian jade. Experts and monks speculate that the relics contained within the statues may be the Buddha’s sharira.