Lhasa Travel Guide

Lhasa is the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, a town on the plateau spreading north of the Himalayas. Sitting at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters, the sky feels close and the air is dry and clear. Since the Tibetan Empire that ruled this land placed its capital here in the seventh century, it has layered up more than a thousand years of history as a holy place of Tibetan Buddhism.

The Potala Palace, the symbol of the town, is a grand palace piled up on a hillside. Made up of the White Palace and the Red Palace, its 13-story main building reaches a height of 117 meters. Inside are places of worship, the reliquary stupas of successive generations and murals, and a reservation is required to visit. Down in the town at its foot, the Jokhang Temple, the center of Tibetan Buddhism, bustles with pilgrims, and the Barkhor that surrounds the temple is both a pilgrimage route and a walking street lined with shops selling crafts and Buddhist articles.

The Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple and Norbulingka, west of the town, are included in the World Heritage site of the Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa. At Sera Monastery in the northern outskirts you can watch the monks debating with gestures. Tibetan food rooted in daily life, and the thangkas and crafts laid out in the markets, are pleasures particular to this town.

Many of the town's temples and streets are gathered within walking distance. To let your body adjust to the plateau, taking it easy for a while after arrival is the premise of any trip here. Besides flying, you can reach the town on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway that runs from Xining. Savor Lhasa slowly, surrounded by mountains and prayer.