On the early morning of May 12, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck Lhaze county, Xigaze, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. The earthquake had a focal depth of 10 kilometers and affected surrounding areas, including Saga county.

Sakya Monastery in the county, the earliest monastery of the Sakya Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, is located just 71 kilometers from the epicenter. Facing the powerful impact of the earthquake, this millennium-old monastery, however, withstood the test thanks to a preventive restoration project carried out in 2024.

Founded in 1073, the glorious monastery is not only the birthplace of the Sakya Sect, but also occupies a pivotal position in the history of Tibetan Buddhism.

"When the earthquake happened, I was really worried. If the central pillar of the main hall hadn't been reinforced, it might have fallen," SonamTashi, director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Saga county, told the Global Times.

His words made people realize how dangerous the situation was at that time and appreciated Chinese cultural relic staffers' strong responsibility in safeguarding the cultural treasures.

Preventive restoration project

According to Sonam Tashi, the main hall of the monastery was renovated in 2024, including the reinforcement of some inclined beams and the renovation of the roof.

Consolidating the central pillar of the main hall is mainly due to the long construction time, while renovating the roof is to replace the Aga soil on the roof.

Aga is a traditional Tibetan architectural craft for the roof or floor of a house. It is made from clay and crushed stones that locals call the Aga soil (a kind of highland soil). It is mixed with water, and laid out on the ground or on the roof, then repeatedly stomped on manually to make it solid and smooth so no water leak through.

Thanks to these preventive restoration measures, Sakya Monastery only suffered minor rectifiable damage, including the wall cracking in this earthquake without any major structural dangers.

The cracked wall is located at the parapet.

Sonam Tashi explained that the parapet of Tibetan temples refers to the low wall around the roof of a building, which has a unique form and cultural connotation in Tibetan temple architecture.

In addition, the murals in the corridor on the second floor also cracked.

"Most of these murals date back to the Ming Dynasty [1368-1644]. Now, the project of repairing the cracked wall has been approved and is expected to be launched this year," he said.

In addition to the restoration of the building, the protective measures for cultural relics in Sakya Monastery are also in place.

The Global Times reporter followed a group of lamas from Sakya Monastery to another hall of the monastery and saw that the cultural relics in the display cases were tightly wrapped to ensure that aftershocks would not damage them.

It is worth mentioning that the preventive protection measures implemented in 2019 also played a role.

Precious movable cultural relics in Sakya Monastery, such as blue-and-white porcelain in Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), palm leaf manuscripts, Thangka, have not been found to be damaged.

Integration of diverse cultures

Sakya Monastery's significance stretches far beyond its survival of a single seismic event.

Young monk Jabar Gyatso eagerly recounted its relics to the visitors.

Founded by Khon Konchok Gyalpo, founder of the Sakya Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, the sprawling complex of white-grey walls (Sakya translate into "pale earth") became the seat of the Sakya sect, one of Tibetan Buddhism's four major schools.

Its historical weight is immense.

In 1244, Sakya Pandita, a representative of Xizang, journeyed to Liangzhou (Today's Wuwei in Northwest China's Gansu Province) to meet with Godan Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan who was representing the Mongolian Khan court.

This pivotal Liangzhou Alliance led to officially incorporating the Xizang region into the juridiction of China's central government, with Sakya Monastery serving as Xizang's regional political, economic, and cultural center.

This era of central authority transformed Sakya into a magnet for cultural treasures.

Jabar Gyatso led the way to the monastery's most breathtaking sight - the overwhelming scripture wall.

He said these scriptures are not only the inheritance of religion and culture, but also witnesses to the integration of Chinese national cultures.

There are over 10,000 volumes on the shelves, including main Buddhist canons like the Kangyur and Tengyur.

Commissioned by the great scholar-king Drogon Chogyal Phagpa, these were transcribed by the finest scribes and artists from Xizang using precious mediums, including gold, silver, vermilion, and ink, on paper renowned for its quality.

The collection transcends language and origin: Texts in Tibetan, Chinese, Mongolian, Sanskrit and other scripts stand side by side, embodying centuries of intellectual and spiritual exchanges across the diverse tapestry of Chinese civilization.

"These scriptures," Jabar Gyatso noted with pride, "carry the indelible imprint of the integration of China's diverse cultures. They are witnesses."

The near-miss of the earthquake underscores the profound value at stake.

Sakya Monastery is not just a religious site, but also a physical archive of China's multicultural history. It proves the "diversity within unity" that characterizes Chinese civilization, Sonam Tashi noted.

Recognizing its fragility, the monastery is embracing the future while preserving the past.

This story first appeared in Global Times:

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202507/1337418.shtml

Company: Global Times
Contact Person: Anna Li
Email: editor@globaltimes.com.cn
Website: https://globaltimes.cn
City: Beijing
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