Capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region (Xiazang), Lhasa is a city unforgettable, known the world over for its oriental charm. Located at an altitude of 13,000 feet, the city is the hub of Tibet's cultural, political, and economic life and the best place to experience Tibetan Buddhism. The place is also the centre point to explore the mystical land that is Tibet.

Lhasa is a city full of peace and tranquillity and undoubtedly the best place to study Tibetan culture and tradition. Don't miss out on the opportunities that this city presents, in this regard. Besides a visit to some historical attractions in Lhasa can be a divine experience. The areas in and around Lhasa reveal the best of Himalayan beauty therefore; a visit to these enchanting sites should form an important part of your itinerary.

Latitude	29°49"42' N
Longitude	91°27"47'
Population	139, 622
Language	Tibetan, Mandarin
Religion	Buddhism
Telephone Code	0891

The history of Lhasa like that of Tibet can be traced back to thousands of years. However, the known history dates back to the 7th century AD only, when Songtsan Gampo (629 AD - 649 AD), the 33rd Tibetan king, sent his minister Sambhota to India for studying Sanskrit, who on his return invented the present Tibetan script based on Sanskrit. During the reign of King Trisong Detsen Tibet reached its peak and invaded several Central Asian Kingdoms including that of the Chinese capital of Xian. It was during this time that Guru Padmasambhava founded the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet and supremacy of Buddhism was established. Sonam Gyatso (born 1543 AD) was the first important Dalai Lama (Ocean of Wisdom). The Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lozang Gyatso, assumed both the spiritual and temporal authority over Tibet in 1642 AD and established the present system of Tibetan government. Relationship with China and other neighbouring countries saw many ups and down in the next 200 years, but Tibet remained a sovereign state most of the time. Western powers started to mingle in the affairs of Tibet in the later phase of 19th century when Britain send three missions to Tibet, but Tibetans refused to grant them permission to enter. Tibet made treaties with Russia in 1900 AD and this made Britain fear for a powerful Russian influence on its Indian borders. As a result, they invaded Tibet in 1903-04 and succeeded in signing a treaty with Tibet. For the next fifty years, relations between Tibet and China remained strained due to Chinese intention to make Tibet a part of their country. They finally became successful in 1951 when thousands of Chinese troops entered Lhasa and occupied Tibet. The fourteenth Dalai Lama left Tibet in 1959 and took asylum in India. A great exodus of Tibetans followed this event, which is continuing even now.

Lying in the Himalayan zone, the weather is essentially cold with not much variation in the temperature throughout the year. There may be variations in day and night temperatures. Days receive good sunshine. Average annual rainfall is between 230 mm to 570 mm. The best time to visit Lhasa is from March to October.

Tibet is famous for its monasteries. The Potala Palace in Lhasa is one of the world's most celebrated Buddhist sites. It is situated on the top of Mt. Putup, has 1,000 rooms, and is a huge storehouse of Buddhist cultural artefacts. It was the residence of Dalai Lama and seat of government in Tibet, before China controlled the city.

This is a beautiful park in the western suburbs of Lhasa. It used to be the summer palace for the Dalai Lamas where they handled political affairs and practiced religious activities.

Built some 1300 years ago, this temple is considered as one of the holiest shrines in Tibet. The temple was constructed in celebration of the marriage of Tang princes Wen Cheng and King Songtsen Gampo. There is a golden statue of the Buddha Shakyamuni in the temple, which was brought here by the first wife of Songtsen Gampo.

This temple was originally built to house the Golden Shakyamuni statue that is now in the Jokhang Temple. The statue remained in the temple for around 20 years before it was moved to Jokhang Temple due to security reasons. In return the temple received another Shakyamuni statue of bronze that is still there.

Tibetans celebrate a large number of colourful festivals throughout the year. Some are traditional, such as the New Year's Day, celebrated from the 23rd day of the last month of the year; Lingka festival, celebrated from the 15th day of the fifth month; Bath Day, held from the 6th to the 12th day of the seventh month; and the Field Day or the harvest festival in the eighth month. Some festivals are religious, as the Great Prayer Festival or Smon-lam, the date of which varies from monastery to monastery. Lord Buddha's birthday, celebrated on the 8th day of the fourth Tibetan month; Buddha's Nirvana day on the 15th day of the fourth Tibetan month; the celebration of Buddha's return to the world of the gods on the 22nd day of the ninth month; and Tsongkha-pa's passage on the 25th day of the tenth month, etc., are some of the important religious festivals celebrated by the people of Lhasa.

The monastery is located to the west of Lhasa city and was founded in 1416 AD by one of the disciples of Tsong Khapa. It is the largest and richest of the three major Yellow sect Monasteries in Lhasa.

It is an important religious city located 225 km west of Lhasa. The city houses the Tashihunpo (lucky mountain) monastery, founded in 1447 AD, and was home to the Panchem Lamas.

This is a 700-year-old city, also known as the City of Heroes. Famous for the resistance it put up against the invading British army in 1903 AD, it is now known as a major carpet-producing centre.

Lhasa can prove to be a good shopping destination due to the richness of its cultural heritage, arts and crafts. Some of the items that should be on your shopping list are Thang Ka pictures and embroideries, Tibet Knife, and Tibetan carpets.

There are many budget hotels in Tibet that rent rooms for around US dollar three a day, for a single room. There are some hotels in the luxury class also such as Lhasa Hotel, which provide good travel facilities. Some of the good hotels in Lhasa are Himalaya Hotel, Sunlight Hotel, Tibet Hotel, Lhasa Hotel, Banak Shol, Kirey Hotel, Yak Hotel, and Plateau Hotel.

Lhasa has some good restaurants, but if you are planning to move outside the city it is better to have reasonable food, as food is quite scarce in Tibet. Due to high altitude of Tibet, the water boils at 90°C, and cooking with water is impossible. The diet and foods are peculiar in Tibet. The Tibetan diet consists mostly of meat, milks and other high-protein foods. The staple diet is tsamba. Travellers usually bring dried meat, tsamba, and tea for food. Tibetan tea forms an important item on any menu in Tibet. In the winters, beef and mutton are cut into long stripes to be air-dried in the circular ground caves or bins walled with stones or dung. Dried beef and mutton keep better and longer, as the bacteria in them are killed during the drying process in deep winter. There are four different sausages in Tibet: blood, meat, flour and liver.

Gongga Airport, located some 90 km from Lhasa is the nearest airport if you plan to fly to Lhasa. You can also fly to Lhasa from Chengdu, a border town of Tibet, which has regular connecting flights to and from Beijing.

There is a good road network that connects Lhasa with many destinations outside Tibet. Major routes cover Lhasa - Chengdu, Lhasa - Yadong, and Lhasa - Nepal. Long distance buses ply on these routes. A CITS office, to sell bus tickets to foreigners at the Lhasa bus station in Golmud. You can also use taxis for long - distance travel.

Taxis and Land Cruisers can be hired easily for local trips and sightseeing around Lhasa. Fares should, however be fixed before hiring one of these.

Supervisory Office of Tourism Quality (Tibet Autonomous Region)
208 Yuanlin Road, Lhasa,
Tibet 850001, China
Tel: 0891 6333476, 6334330
Fax: 0891 6334632, 680012

Bank of China
No.1 Najin Lu, Lhasa, Tibet
Tel: 0891 6336558

Tibetan Traditional Medicine Hospital

Near Jokhang Temple, Lhasa

Lhasa City Hospital
Lhasa Peoples Hospital - 1
Lhasa Peoples Hospital - 2