Jokhang Monastery in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, on October 11, 2013. Built in 648, the Jokhang Monastery was expanded to its present scale after several renovations in the 17th century. Located on Barkhor Street, Lhasa, it faces west and counts four stories with its rooftops covered in gilded bronze tiles. It was built in Tang Dynasty (618-907) architectural style with features of Nepalese and Indian architecture. The main hall is supported by 20 large wooden columns. There are elegant relief sculptures of humans, birds and animals carved into the bucket-arch beams. A golden statue of the young Buddha Sakyamuni at age 12, brought to Tibet by Princess Wen Cheng from Chang'an, capital of the Tang Dynasty, is enshrined in the center. The statutes of Songtsen Gampo, Princess Wencheng and Princess Chizun, another wife of the Tibetan King, are enshrined in the side halls. [Photo by Wang Mengru/China.org.cn]