Visitor Centre in Yushu
- Emilia Margaretha
The Chinese city of Yushu, a centre of Tibetan Buddhism, is renowned for the Jianamani Memorial. Stones bearing prayer mantras have accrued here for some 300 years, and it is estimated that there are 250 million of them. Ever more pilgrims visit this site, and nearly half the population earns its living by engraving the Mani stones. The visitor centre serves tourists and pilgrims, and the local community. The square floor plan with central courtyard corresponds to vernacular typology; eleven linked viewing platforms crown the building. The wood used here was reclaimed from buildings destroyed in the 2010 earthquake. The rubble masonry, laid by local craftsmen, is from the same quarry as the Mani stones.
