Ramcho Monastery

This temple is often called the "Minor Jokhang Temple" and is located in the North part of Lhasa city, about 1km from the Jokhang.

The Ramcho Monastery is a stone's throw north of the Jokhang. It was built by Tibetan and Han craftsmen under Princess Wen Cheng's supervision. Although it was originally built in the Han style, it burned down and was reconstructed so many times that its original form can no longer be discerned.

Ramcho has a long history, and was founded at the same time as the Jokhang. Throughout history it has suffered destruction by fire, and has been rebuilt several times.

In the days of King Songtsan Gampo, Ramoche Temple was originally built to house the famous statue of Sakyamuni, now found in the Jokhang, which was originally brought to Tibet by Princess Wen Cheng.Legend has it that when Princess Wen Cheng and her entourage arrived at the North gate of Lhasa, her carriage got stuck in the mud. Her assistants could not remove the statue and so they covered it temporarily with 4 pillars and white brocade. Later, the Princess ordered the construction of Ramoche as a shrine for the statue. Twenty years on, in 652A.D., the leader of Tibet was concerned with rumors that the Chinese Emperor was considering an invasion of Tibet. As a protection, he moved the Sakyamuni Statue from Ramoche to the Jokhang, and hid it from view. It has remained there ever since. In exchange Ramoche Temple received a smaller bronze statue of Sakyamumi, which has been brought to Tibet by Songtsan Gampo's other wife, the Nepalese Princess Tritsum. This can still be seen at Ramoche Temple today.