About Lhasa
Nicknamed “the City of Sunlight” and “the Holy Land”, Lhasa (Chinese pinyin: Lasa) is the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It is one of the highest capitals in the world. With a history of about 1,300 years, Lhasa is a famous historical cultural city. Covering an area of 30,000 square kilometers, the city is home to 550,000 people, 87% of whom are of Tibetan nationality and the rest is composed of some 31 ethnic minority groups.
Situated at a small basin surrounded by mountains rising to 5,500 meters in all directions, Lhasa lies in the center of the Tibetan Plateau and has an elevation of 3,650 meters. Due to the high altitude, the climate of Lhasa is cool and dry while enjoying 3,000 hours of sunlight annually, hence the nickname “the City of Sunlight”. The tributary of the gorgeous Brahmaputra River (Yarlung Zangbo River) runs through the city.
Tibetans live on mutton and beef. Wine is indispensable to Tibetans who brew it with Qingke (chang)-a kind of crop grown on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. There are many unique and exciting festivals held in Lhasa throughout the year. For example, the most famous ones are the Tibet New Year (on the 1st day of 1st Tibetan month), Great Prayer Festival (from the 8th to the 15th day of the 1st Tibetan month), Butter Lantern Festival (on the 15th day of the 1st Tibetan month), and Shoton Festival in August.
Being the most sacred place of Tibetan Buddhism, Lhasa is endowed with many historic sites of interest, the most well-known of which is the Potala Palace-the symbol of Lhasa. Other famous attractions are Jokhang Temple (regarded as the holiest center in Tibet), Sera Monastery (where Lamas debate on Buddhist Doctrines), Drepung Monastery (the largest monastery in Tibet), Ganden Monastery (where the Buddha Painting Unfolding Festival is conducted), and Norbulingka (the summer palace), etc.
After hundreds of years of vicissitudes, these historic, cultural, and religious relics have managed to retain their ancient and original looks. The Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Norbulingka have been listed by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritages.
In addition, there are many other sights that are worth visiting, such as Ramoche Monastery, Tibetan Museum, Mentsekhang (the Tibetan Traditional Hospital), Carpet Factory, and Yangpachen that gains fame from the abundant geothermic heat, offering visitors with much to explore.
All these attractive sights will provide you deep insights into the fascinating history, culture, and lifestyle of the Tibetan people. Visitors have every reason to visit Lhasa-a unique and spiritual city.