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| Brief Introduction of Lhasa / Tibet |
| As the capital city of Tibet
Autonomous Region, Lhasa is located at the north bank of the
Kyichu River, a tributary of the Yarlong Tsangpo River, at an
altitude of 3,650 meters above sea level, supposed to be the
highest city in the world. It has been the center of politics,
culture, and religion in Tibet for more than 1,300 years. With
a long history and unique natural environment, Lhasa boasts
of rich ethnic folklore and magnificent highland scenery. |
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| Lhasa, Tibet Sightseeing Highlights |
 [Potala
Palace]
The Potala Palace, winter palace of the Dalai Lama since the
7th century, symbolises Tibetan Buddhism and its central role
in the traditional administration in Tibet. The complex, comprising
the White and the Red Palaces with their ancillary buildings,
is built on the Red Mountain in the centre of the Lhasa valley,
at an altitude of 3,700 M. The beauty and originality of the
architecture, the ornamentation and harmonious integration in
a striking landscape, add to its historic and religious interest. |
 [Drepung
Monastery]
Located in the hills on the northern outskirts of Lhasa, it
was established in 1416 as an institute of higher Buddhist education
by Khenpo Lekden, a direct disciple of Lama Tsongkhapa (1357-1419),
founder of the eclectic Geluk School. The First Dalai Lama was
also a disciple of Lama Tsongkhapa, and the Second Dalai Lama
built a residence in Drepung, called the Ganden Potrang, which
remained a hereditary seat of all subsequent Dalai Lamas. It
is the largest monastery of the Gelugpa Buddhism. It covers
an area of 250,000 square meters, consisting of a number of
grand halls, chambers, and residential units for lesser lamas.
At its zenith Drepung Loseling housed some ten thousand monk
students. These were drawn not only from Tibet, but also from
China, Himalayan India, Mongolia, and the Mongol regions of
Eastern Russia. |
[Tashilhungpo Monastery]
Located on the southern slope of the Nyimari Mountain northwest
of Shigatse city, it is one of the six major monasteries of
the Gelug Sect as well as the largest one in western Tibet.
Founded in 1447, it was the home of the Panchen Lamas, the reincarnations
of the Eternal Light Buddha. It was later expanded by the 4th
to 6th Panchen Lama into the current size.It has been the political
and religions center for Panchen Lamas since late Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644 A.D). There are many rare and valuable historical
articles in the monastery, among them a lot of gold and jade
signets, imperial certificates bestowed by emperors of the Ming
and Qing dynasties. |
 [Tibet
Museum]
Covering an area of 50,000 sq m with a floor-space of 20,000
sq m, the museum is the largest cultural facility in this ethnic
autonomous region. The Tibet Museum has a huge collection of
art treasures. Its exhibits include prehistoric cultural relics,
Buddhist statues carved in various materials and in different
postures, and Tibetan sutras hand written in powdered gold,
silver and coral. There are also colorful Thangkas, and a wide
range of Tibetan utensils and ritual implements, handicrafts,
and ceramics. |
 [Jokhang
Monastery]
Founded in the 7th century, the Jokhang Monastery is an exceptional
Buddhist religious complex. It is the spiritual center of Tibet.
The temple is a combination of Han, Tibetan and Nepalese architectural
techniques. Visitors will see sphinx and other weird and sacred
sculptures. Every year, the Great Prayer Festival is held in
the temple. The Jokhang, holiest temple in Tibet, dates back
to the 7th century. It was founded by Tibet first Buddhist king,
Songtsen Gampo and contains a sacred Buddha image that draws
thousands of pilgrims every day. |
 [Palkhor
Monastery]
Located 100 kilometers east of Shigatse at the foot of Dzong
Hill the Palkhor Monastery was built in 1412 and took 10 years
to be completed. It is a huge monastery with a unique history.
The monastery houses monks from the Gelugpa, Sakyapa and Kahdampa
orders. Although they once quarreled and fought, the different
orders eventually discovered a way to get along with each other.
The monastery is the only one known to house monks from different
orders in harmony. As a result, its structural style, deities
enshrined and murals are very special. |
 [Longbolhakang]
Located at the top of the Jormo Zhaxi Ceri Mountain along the
east bank of the Yarlung River, about 12 kilometers from Tsetang
Town in Nedong County, Longbolhakang was the first palace built
by the first Tibetan King Nitri Tsampo. It is also the oldest
existing example of Tibetan architecture.
It was not used as a temple when it was first built. After Songtsan
Gambo, the 32nd Tsampo, set up two-story halls at the both sides
of the original palace, the Longbolhakang came to be used as
a sutra hall. Expansion was made by every king and gateways
were added to the two sides of the hall. Though not on a large
scale, Longbolhakang has a time-honored history with a magnificent
and spectacular appearance. It is very famous near and far. |
[The Tombs of the
Tobu Kings]
There is a group of tombs on the top of Mount Muri in Qungjie
County, the former capital of the Tobu Kingdom. These are the
tombs of the kings and queens of the Tobu Kingdom. The tombs
are protected by the mountains in back and guarded by stone
lions erected on the mountain slope. There are steles among
the tombs to honor the dead, suggesting that by that time the
Tibetans had developed a sophisticated system for burying their
dead. |
 [Samye
Monastery]
Located on the southern bank of the Yarlung Zangbo River, as
the headquarters of the Red Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, Samye
Monastery was built in 779 during the reign of the Tibetan King
Trisun Detsan. It looks spectacular and magnificent. It boasts
many Tibetan cultural relics and historical artifacts. Samye
Monastery has collected many kinds of cultural legacies in terms
of history, religion, architecture, and art from all periods
since the Tubo Kingdom. |
 [Sera
Monastery]
It is one of the three largest monasteries in Tibet, located
at the foot of Tatipu Hill. It is as prestigious as Drepung
and Ganden monasteries but had a longer history. Sera in Tibetan
means Wild Rose Garden since opulent wild rose woods once grew
around it. It was built in 1419 by one of the eight disciples
of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Ge-lug-pa Sect. Enshrined in the
monastery are over 10,000 golden copper Buddhist statues, the
holy prayer scripture written in cinnabar, and other treasures. |
 [Barkhor
Street]
Barkhor Street also called Bajiao Street, is an old and traditional
shopping street in the center of Lhasa. It is also a place where
Tibetan culture, economy, religion and arts assemble and a place
to which a visit must be paid. Barkhor is the road on which
pilgrims tramped out around Jokhang Temple through centuries.
Buddhist pilgrims walk by body-length kowtow along the street
clockwise every day into deep night. Barkhor Street is also
a marketplace where shaggy nomads, traders, robed monks and
chanting pilgrims join together. Shops and stalls sell printed
scriptures, cloth prayer flags and other religious vessels,
jewelry, Tibetan knives and ancient coins etc. |
[Ganden Monastery]
The Ganden Monastery is situated on the slope of Mount Wanpur
to the east of Lhasa. From a distance, it looks very much
like a castle. Ganden monastery is the first Gelugpa monastery
in Tibet. Some people said that Mount Wanpur resembles a sitting
elephant with the Ganden Monastery on its back. This is an
auspicious symbol to Tibetans. Others say that Mount Wanpur
appears to be the kind Dorlijiaing with the Ganden in her
arms. The monastery was built by Tsongkapa in the early 15th
century, and it contains his tomb pagoda. Underneath the north
wall of the Tomb Pagoda Hall, there is said to be a flying
rock from India, which is also venerated by the Buddhists.
The monastery has extremely delicate and fine murals and sculptures.
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