Chonggu (Classic Print)

Yading, Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture: I hired a guide, a local Khampa cowboy named Lorong, to take me on a kora, a pilgrimage trek, around the three peaks of Yading in Tibetan Sichuan. But a rare October snowstorm caused whiteout conditions on the trail, and we had to find shelter. We shivered the night away in a shepherd's hut, telling stories and watching the embers trace mysterious pathways across the dying coals. After seeing how unstable the snowpack was the next morning, Lorong and I agreed we couldn't continue the kora. With heavy hearts, we returned to the valley, and to Chonggu Temple.

Back under the sheltered awnings of Chonggu Temple, my disappointment had nowhere to hide. When would I have a chance to do this again? 

It was still snowing when we wandered past an elderly pilgrim coming out of her lodging, in the rear of the temple grounds. She saw us and invited us inside for tea. We entered a dilapidated, drafty chamber– one of the ancient, possibly original parts of the building, abandoned long ago by worshippers and used as a makeshift stable. As the wind howled outside, we took turns churning butter on a wooden hand churn. Its gnarled surface was coated with a dark luster that only time could bestow. She scooped the butter into three worn teacups, and then poured hot tea into them.

As we sipped on the salty yak-butter tea, the pilgrim told us about her journey: she walked hundreds of kilometers, many of them alone, to arrive here and pray for her son. She had not seen him in the many years after he moved away to the city to find work. Nor did she know where he was, or whether he was alive or dead. But always he was in her thoughts, in her dreams, in every step of the long way up this mountain. 

I quietly sipped my tea and watched the old pilgrim. Her clothes were ragged and ripped, her skin was soot-smeared and sunburnt, yet her heart was pure in intention. In the midst of my disappointment and setback, the spirit of the pilgrimage revealed itself to me in a small unassuming room on the ancient grounds of Chonggu Temple. 

Chonggu Temple is a 700 year-old Tibetan Buddhist temple located deep in the Hengduan Mountain range. It lies at the foot of Mt. Chenrézig, one of three holy peaks in Yading sanctified by the 5th Dalai Lama.

About this print:
Gicleé inks on museum-grade, 0.43mm thick 100% premium cotton archival paper. Acid free. Smooth-matte surface provides a beautiful organic texture and excellent viewing from any angle. 

Note:
A 0.6-inch, white border runs along the perimeter of the image. Does not come framed. Please allow print to gently flatten out over a few days upon arrival before framing or hanging.