Clay Votive Tablets of Tibetan Buddhism Exhibited in BeijingA nine-day exhibition displaying a variety of clay votive tablets of Buddha images and pagodas, or "tsha-tshas," opened Tuesday in the Cultural Palace of the Nationalities in Beijing.Sponsored by the Chinese Buddhist Association, the exhibition is part of the series of activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet. The "Tsha-tsha," a Tibetan transliteration from Sanskrit, is mainly used by Tibetan Buddhists to fill the inner shrines of big stupas or Buddha statues, or is enshrined at places such as holy lakes, peaks and caves as a religious symbol for good fortune. As a typical example of Tibetan Buddhist art with a history of more than 1,000 years, the "tsha-tsha" has played an important role in spreading Tibetan Buddhist culture. Most of the tablets on display were provided by Liu Dong, a calligrapher and antique collector from Tianjin, north China. |
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