11th Panchen Lama attends Buddhist service
( 2002-06-16 10:11 ) (8 )

The 11th Panchen Lama, a spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, has attended a Buddhist service at Zhaxi Lhunbo Lamasery in Xigaze in the Tibet Autonomous Region, southwest China.

Surrounded by praying lamas, the 13 year-old Panchen walked from his residence to the palace where he bowed three times and offered hada, pieces of white silk symbolizing luck.

The palace where the 5th to 9th Panchen Lamas are buried was built by the central government at a cost of 64 million yuan ( about 8 million US dollars) and completed in 1989.

The central government also contributed gold and silver for the construction of the palace and the tower where the 10th Panchen Lama was buried.

The 11th Panchen Lama also prayed in 21 halls in the lamasery, and held a memorial service for the 10th Panchen Lama.

The 11th Panchen ascended the throne in 1995 at the Zhaxi Lhunbo Lamasery after he was selected as the reincarnated Panchen Lama in accordance with religious custom. The 10th Panchen Lama died in 1989.