Drawing by william alexander, draughtsman of the macartney embassy to china in 1793. One of the lamas from the temple called poo-ta-la situated near the imperial residence at zhehol is presented. The priest has his head shaved entirely and is clad in a loose robe of the imperial color, yellow, with a broad collar of silk or velvet; he holds a straw hat with large brims in one hand, and a book in another. According to alexander, the monastery of poo-ta-la, which is seen in the background, was a large square building with each side and height measuring two hundred feet and having eleven rows of windows; the chapel in the center of the monastery was roofed with tiles of solid gold. Alexander noted that eight hundred lamas lived in poo-ta-la, worshiping the deity fo. Image taken from the costume of china, illustrated in forty-eight coloured engravings, published in london in 1805. Date: circa 1800.
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