Luobuzhaxi

China
 

Research Fellow, Deputy Director, Institute of Tibetan Medicine Research, CTRC

 

Tibetan medicine Thangka, referred to as "Mantang" for short, is a perfect combination of Traditional Tibetan thangka painting art and Tibetan medicine. In Tibetan, "Man" means medicine, and "Tang" means "thangka", they formed a poster of medicine, which is a teaching tool of Tibetan medicine. A total of 80 pieces of Mantangs were painted by Lhodrak Norbu Gyatso, a famous painter of the Qing Dynasty, and coloured the paintings by Lhasa Wa Ge Nyen, dating back more than 300 years.

 

From the completion of 80 Mantang paintings at the beginning of the 18th century to the 1920s, Mantang had gone through a long period of more than 200 years. During this period, 80 Thangkas preserved in the Medical School of Chakpori in Lhasa were on the verge of being scattered due to mismanagement. Some of them were borrowed and never returned, while others were gradually lost. Only thirty-one remained.

 

Until 1923, Khenrob Norbu, the president of "Men Tsee Khang" in Lhasa presided to repaint 80 Mantangs, and added new figures on No.80th Mantang, which are famous Tibetan doctor in past dynasties.

 

Since the peaceful liberation of Tibet, the Party and the state have attached great importance to the inheritance and development of Tibetan medicine, and Tibetan medicine, including Mantang have been effectively protected, and there are numerous research achievements on Mantang. In 1986, A Complete Series Collection of posters of four Medical Tantras was officially published, marking the publication of the world's first annotated compilation of 80 Manthangs, which is a milestone in the development history of Tibetan medicine. The English version of Tibetan Medical Thangkhas of the Four Medical Tantras was published in 1988. The publication of the two great books opened the door to all over the world for studying of Mantang.

 

Generally speaking, Mantang, as a special carrier of Tibetan medicine culture, plays a positive role in the communication and integration of various ethnic groups while playing its own professional role.