The Ta Er Lamasery, which is situated about ten miles from Shilin, capital of Chinghai Province, is the birthplace of Tsungkarbar of Tibet, founder of "Yellow" Lamaism, whose death many years ago enabled the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, his disciples, to come into power. Surrounded by several hundreds of buildings and a 3,000-roomed dormitory for lamas, the Grand Golden Hall of the lamasery is richly decorated with gold and silver said to be more than enough to pay off the whole of China's Boxer Indemnity in its original amount. Lamas in China's border provinces hold five pil-grimaces to Ta Er annually when fairs are held. The most spectacular of these fairs is the one held on June 7, when the image-drying ceremony is performed. The huge silk-embroidered image of Buddha, of which a picture is given on this page, is allowed to see sunshine only once a year. i has A
The huge silk-embroidered image of Buddha, measuring about 30 feet in length, is dried or "sun-birthed" once every year in a big ceremony at which the chief lama dignitary presides. Hundreds of pilgrims kneel before the image.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.