Dege | No lights, but always producing light

The all-wood structure of the Dege Printing House was built in 1729 and has never been electrified. Natural light is the only source of illumination, creating beautiful shadows. Every year, scriptures are carved and printed from early spring to late autumn, for about half a year. 📍Address: No. 13, Bagong Street, Dege County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province 🕙Opening hours: 8:30–11:30; 14:00–17:30 🎟️Tickets: CNY 50 (free for residents of cities that have provided aid, with ID) 🌟Highlights: 290,000 blocks of Tibetan scripture printing plates, some of which are the only ones in existence From the morning, the Dege Printing House is "busy," with a constant stream of people walking around it. Some walk alone, some with their families, and some, like us, walk without knowing why. It wasn't until we were about to leave that I asked a staff member and learned that walking around the printing house 1,111 times is considered a good deed. The craftsmen work diligently at their posts. The first floor is where the printing plates are washed, and the second floor is where they are stored. Light streams into the narrow corridor, illuminating the rows of tall cabinets filled with printing plates. It is said that there are 290,000 blocks of Tibetan scripture printing plates here, some of which are the only ones in existence. Up the narrow, almost vertical wooden stairs is an open area around the courtyard, the best-lit area in the printing house, where craftsmen carve and print scriptures. There are no lights here, but light is always being produced.