Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1929-12-13
prepared by the National Geographic
Society. Washington. D. CO.

Society. Washington. D. c.
6HE monastery and village of
Choni near the-Tibetan border
Of China, which was recently
the scene of massacre by
Moslem soldiers, was an outstanding
type Of the Lama communities that
dot western China and Tibet.
The site of Choni is in the south
western part Of Kansu Province.
Though 1t was the capital Of the do
main of the prince of Choni 1t was
merely village Of 400 families, APP
proximately 1000 inhabitants. The
natives Of this region are of Tibetan
origin; in fact, there are few real
Chinese in the neighborhood. The vii
lage was by far the best situated spot
in Kansu Province, and the princes
territory was the choicest bit of land
Nowhere else in Kansu are there such
forests, and the scenery is unsur-
passed.
The village probably changed but
little during the six centuries of its
existence. The Tao river, which flows
furnished the water for the town and
the lamasery. Women carried the wa
ter in wooden buckets to the town.
and the poorer monks conveyed 1t the
additional 500 feet to the amasery.
Little of this water was used for
cleansing purposes. The monks, there
fore, reeked of rancid hutter and
grease, and their skin was black from
the accumulated filth of years. Even
lama officials do not battle, although
their faces appear washed. Their
| priestly garments of red Lhasa cloth
are unwashable; and since few Of
them have more than one garment, the
clothing Is saturated with odors SO
strong that it is difficult to expeI the
scent from a room after even a short
visit by small group of lamas.
Monastery Is Extensive.
Choni monastery or what remains
of it is surrounded by wall of loess
"a peculiar deposit of loam) pierced
by large stone gate looking south.
Upon the gate is the inscription: Chi
Ssu Chan Ting Ssu bestowed by I'm
perial Command Temple of Abstract
| Tranquility. A memorial stone of
1876 records that the tablet for the
monastery was written by Emperor
King Hsi himself in 1710 as favor
to Chih Lien, Choni priest, who
paid him a visit. After his return to
| Choni. Chin Lien is said to have con.
/ %v4ih y1fnd fon Of oil
sum at that time-toward the build.
ing of temples and chanting halls in
the monastery. Within the walls are
| 172 buildings not including 10 large
and small chanting halls.
| During the reign of Yung Lo the
monastery housed $500 monks, but
recently only 700 have resided there.
| OF the 10 chanting halls in Choni
two are fairly large The one most
| frequently used faces square in which
| the lama dances are performed and
| the butter festival is celebrated. This
hall is flanked by three other build
ings.
The largest chanting hall. struc-
ture probably 200 years old. is i'm
mediately back of the first 1t can
accommodate about 400 monks. The
roof Is supported by so large pillars
of wood lacquered red. The main idol
in this hall is Wutaishan. or Chamby
ang, the God of Learning tthe Chinese
Wen Shen, God of I.iterature).
On festive days this hall was beau
tifully decorated with brOcades From
the ceiling were suspended long cere
monfal umbrellas, and the pillars were
sheathed in magnificent handwoveE
carpets, the gift of the Mongol king
of the Ala Shan. The hall was opened
only on special occasions, such as the
Feast Of Lights, when the monks as
sembled at night to chant the classics.
Complete Set Of Tibetan Classics.
A building to the left OF the main
chanting hall contained large oc
tagonal prayer cylinder of wood. with
doors. Within 1t was kept a complete
set of the Kandjur and Tandjur. the
chief Tibetan classics. the former
comprising 1903 volumes. the later
the cOmmentary-209 volumes To the
cylinder were attached slender bars
with carved figures. by means of which
the wheel could be set in motion. With
one revolution the devotee said the
contents of the 317 volunes-indeed
a quick way of saying prayers.
Priceless possessions of t'huni lam
asery were printing blocks of both
the Kandjur and the Tandiur mum.
Der of other lanaseries. such as Derge
and Radja. have blocks of the Kand-
jur. but rarely Of the Tandjur. In
fact, Cheni Is said to have been the
only monastery outside Lhasa possess.