Chokpori, Sacred mountain in Lhasa, China
Chokpori is a mountain rising to approximately 3,700 meters (12,100 feet) that forms part of the traditional landscape surrounding Lhasa. The peak sits as one of three hills that define the city's natural geography and are visible from many vantage points throughout the urban area.
A medical college was established on the mountain in 1696 and served as a center for Tibetan medicine until 1959. The institution played an important role in preserving and transmitting medical knowledge across generations of practitioners.
Chokpori is the soul-mountain of Vajrapani, one of the Three Protectors of Tibet, alongside Pongwari and Marpori. The cliff carvings called the Thousand Buddha Cliff lie on its west side and are part of the Lingkhor pilgrimage circuit. Families who cannot afford a thangka for a deceased relative repaint existing cliff images to earn merit.
The mountain is accessible from central Lhasa and offers views of Potala Palace from its northern edge, especially during morning hours. Bringing a light jacket is recommended as temperatures are cooler at this elevation even in summer.
The cliff carvings on the hill's west and north sides, known in Chinese as the Thousand Buddha Cliff, are on the route of the Lingkhor pilgrimage circuit. Tradition credits the earliest images to the 7th-century reign of Songtsen Gampo, and poorer families once repainted existing figures instead of commissioning a thangka for the dead.
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